Bleach Family Ties
by Cindra
Summary: I decided to try my AU spin on things this time focusing on the relationship between father and son. Ichigo is dealing with finding out of the truth about his father's Shinigami lineage and he isn't handling the news very well. Curious? Happy Reading...
1. Chapter 1

Bleach Family ties

By Cindra

Chapter One

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A/N: Well here goes my first foray into attempting a fanfic in the world of one of my all time favorite anime series Bleach. I decided to try my AU spin on things this time focusing on the relationship between father and son. Ichigo is dealing with finding out of the truth about his father's Shinigami lineage and he isn't handling the news very well. I liked Amagai, so I kind of changed the outcome of what looks like his demise into somewhat of a 'why didn't you tell me that Isshin wasn't dead' kind of situation. Instead of him being out for blood about his father, he was out for blood because Yamamoto killed his big brother. In my AU world Amagai's Isshin's kid brother and Yamamoto's their father. Ichigo has overheard a conversation between the three of them where Isshin has come to have a long overdo chat with his father. Ichigo returns back home in, to coin a Buffy the vampire slayer phrase, 'fire bad tree pretty' mode. Total mental overload and the following are the repercussions of that.

One last note: Thanks Yemi Hikari for your suggestions they really helped.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

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Ichigo lay pensively on his bed staring broodingly up at his new skylight. It seemed that his father had given up having the roof patched over and over again and had opted to have a skylight installed to give his son a discrete means of exiting his room.

He had just gotten back from assuring the safety of Princess Rurichiyo, as well as saving the Soul Society again. This time the cause was Captain-Commander Gramp's family problems, involving his estranged son wanting revenge for his brother's death, because as usual that old fart didn't give a shit, and innocents were once again put in the crossfire.

But that however, wasn't what was eating him up inside. It had become routine for him to bail them out of mess after mess. Hell, he didn't mind. It kept life interesting.

No…not interesting that wasn't the word he would use to describe his feelings about the Soul Society. Belonging…Yeah, that was the right word. The more that he spent time in the Seireitei the less he wanted to come back to the world of the living.

Living…

Yeah, right…

The joke was on him…He sneered bitterly.

No he wasn't human…not by a long shot. A person had to have two human parents to be classified as human and his were far from that. No. Everything that he knew about them was a lie. Now if that wasn't a bad enough bombshell it turned out that he himself was walking around in a gigai!

Shit! He felt like a complete idiot! God! Could he have been anymore of a fool! They must have gotten one hell of a laugh out of letting him believe that he was just a human with Shinigami powers and was very much alive.

Then again they were probably as snowed as he had been, seeing as his father had completely changed his identity, not to mention occupation. Healer my ass! More like his royal highness 'High King' of all he surveyed! His father had fled by faking his own death hours after being officially crowned High King of the Soul Society and used his best friends' dramatic departure as the ultimate distraction. The Soul Society of course covered that up by declaring that the King was now residing in another dimension somewhere in the Seireitei.

The kicker was that his kid brother Amagai had been under the assumption that their dad had killed Isshin by forcing him to make a choice, and then covered it all up by making it look like the King was safe in another dimension somewhere in the Soul Society. This had been the catalyst that had launched the whole Assassin's guild debacle in the first place and thanks to Ichigo their falling out had been rectified and no one got dead. He hadn't a clue that the brother was Isshin, until his dad had showed up to check on his baby brother, and by doing so had started up a tentative relationship with his father again.

Free of his ties with the Soul Society Isshin was free to start life anew with a new face and identity courtesy of months of careful planning and one of Kisuke's special order gigai's. He was free to marry Ichigo's mother and never have to worry about the repercussions of falling in love and marrying a Quincy. Not just that, but the sister of Ryūken Ishida, one of his closest human friends.

That tight ass was his Uncle, making Uryū his cousin! Uryū's father blamed Isshin for his sister's death and had cut off all ties with him. Going as far as denying his own Quincy heritage, this was until he'd had to help his son regain his Quincy powers during the Aizen/Arrancar war.

Aizen, the bastard had died at his hands, and any influence that Kyōka had over Gin had dispersed. Influence or not Gramps didn't pardon him and he was exiled from the Sereitei. Lt. Rangiku Matsumoto had him comfortably set up in the Rukongai's first district, but he was always under constant surveillance by the Special Forces.

Love… Who could explain it, but that was a whole other migraine. Why anyone would fall for Gin defied the imagination.

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One of Aizen's tactics had been to taunt him…saying that everyone that he knew was deceiving him and that everything he knew was a lie. Hell, it was a tactic that all the badies tried to use on him, so he'd brushed it off.

Yeah, right. Urahara and his father, who was also a Shinigami, had schemed to create the ultimate spiritual warrior. His mother's death, at the hands of Grand Fisher, had been the catalyst and his father had used that to mold him into who or what he was today. He'd thought that all of that was a load of horse shit, when in fact he'd been telling him the truth.

The truth was eating him alive. His dad was Gramp's son.

Yamamoto the former high ruler of the Soul Society, after losing his Queen during an attack on the Soul Society, had chosen to create the Gotei 13 as a means of presiding over and protecting his subjects. Isshin, his oldest son, determined to avenge his mother's death had been his first success.

For many millennia, the two of them had a tense father son relationship. Yamamoto choosing to let his son 'beat to his own drum' and the status of 'High King' was far from either of their minds.

Isshin had taken on the highest rank as 'Head of the royal guards or Zero Unit' allowing him the freedom to come and go as he pleased. Freeing him to explore the living world where he spent months learning their strange ways and fell in love with Ichigo's mother. The two of them were to marry that was until he was summoned back home by his father to take his rightful place on the throne. After all, his best friend had caused chaos to wreak havoc in the Soul Society and stability was needed once more. He reluctantly left his soul mate, vowing to return to her no matter what the cost.

Ichigo knew all of this because upon overhearing his father, Amagai, and the old man talking back at the Sereitei. He had needed even more answers and who better to get the answers from than Urahara himself.

Captain Hitsugaya had had no problem arranging a Senkai Gate for him so that it opened up in front of his shop. In the Captain's eyes the sooner Ichigo returned home the faster the Sereitei would return to its calm state of being.

His darker side came in handy when it came to getting someone to talk and Urahara had been no exception. Although, force hadn't been necessary the man had bowed before him pleading for him to understand. Ichigo had been in information overload after that so he flash stepped his way home and then barricaded himself in his room.

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Karin and Yuzu had tried to get him to come out for two days. He'd ignored Yuzu's frantic pleas or Karin's threats to call their dad and get him to cut his mercy mission in China short so that he could come home and deal with his son.

_Yeah, right, little sis... Go ahead and try to all that ya like. Dad's nowhere near China, let alone this demission. No. He's too busy spying on me and making nice with Gramps. _

Kurosaki wasn't Isshin's given surname so none of them even clued in that he was Isshin's son, seeing as the King was currently residing in a secure demission somewhere in the Soul Society. It hadn't been until the Aizen debacle that Isshin had even donned the uniform again alerting his father of his existence. Urahara must have provided him with one of his special order untraceable gigai's, because his dad looked nothing like he did walking around on earth. Hell, he looked like he was in his late twenties in his natural form and his spiritual pressure was off the charts.

_How the hell had he been able to hide it like that?_

He'd felt a taste of it once before during his sparing match with Shinji, but his father had vanished before he could check it out.

His old man wasn't near the crazy maniac that he portrayed himself to be. Yeah, so what if he'd had his reasons that was no excuse to lie to him all the time! He should have come clean with him after the Aizen mess had been finished.

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"_Aw what's the matter,_" A voice sneered in his mind. "_Did the 'ittle kingie get his 'ittle feelings hurt_." It sneered.

"Cut it out! I'm so not in the mood!" Ichigo snarled aloud, his voice cutting through the silence.

"_Yeah, well, neither am I! You pansy ass weakling! So what if they lied to you! Get over it already or I'll make you the horse for a while_!" Hichigo, his 'Inner-Hollow' snarled back.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! I'M HAVING A CRISIS HERE!" Ichigo roared in frustration.

"_YOU'RE THE ULTIMATE SHINIGAMI! THE PERFECT BLENDING OF QUINCY, SHINIGAMI, AND HOLLOW... WE'RE GLORIOUS! YOU SHOULD BE PROUD NOT FUCKING DEPRESSED! ZANGETSU IS GETTING PISSED BECAUSE OF ALL THE RAIN POURING DOWN ON HIM! WHEN HE'S PISSED I GET GRIEF! NOW SNAP THE HELL OUT OF IT OR WE'LL CHANGE PLACES AND YOU CAN BE THE HORSE FOR A WHILE!_" Hichigo roared back.

"You are me! Now shut the hell up!" Ichigo prowled the floor of his room, barely resisting the urge to slam his fist through his bedroom wall. "Zangetsu only gets pissed when I lose my resolve!"

"_Wrong! Your rollercoaster moods affect us all! Look wise ass! Oh clueless one! If it hadn't been for your old man and Old Fart' n Clogs, you wouldn't be here right now! You'd have been Hollow chow, so get over it! You're not a kid, so quit acting like you're a toddler that's lost his favorite toy! Grow the hell up! People lie! You lie on a daily basis to everyone in order to keep your identity as a Soul Reaper a secret!_"

"It's not the same thing! I'm trying to keep them all safe!"

"_Bull shit! Kingie! It's exactly the same thing! Your old man made certain that you would be strong enough to handle what was to come! He took a sniveling scared little scrawny pansy ass brat and made him into a man! Like it or not, Ichigo, you owe him everything! Now get over it!" _Hichigo relentlessly snarled back.

"SHUT UP! I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOU WANT OR THINK! JUST LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! ALL OF MY LIFE, EVERYTHING ALL LIES!!" Ichigo punched his fist through his bedroom window, sending shards of glass flying everywhere.

"The hell with this, I'm gone! I can't be here!" He kicked the rest of the glass out of his way, jumped through the opening, and took off.

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Yuzu worriedly paced outside of her big brother's room. "We have to do something, Karin! He's delusional! Two days without food is causing him to short circuit!"

Karin didn't need her sister to tell them that Ichigo was in extremes. She could feel the waves of emotions radiating from him. She'd had a throbbing migraine for days. He was beyond hurt and miserable and it was killing her inside to see him this way. It had to be because of his being a Soul Reaper. Yes, something major must have happened to devastate him like this. "Yuzu, go call dad. Tell him that Ichigo needs him. I'll try and get the door open."

"Dad's in China, Karin! He'll take forever getting here!" Yuzu wailed.

"Yeah, you're right. He even forgot that tomorrow's Ichigo's sixteenth birthday. This is so messed up! Oooo…I wanna pound those robed yahoo's ta bits for screwing him up like this!" Karim fumed.

"Karin! What on earth are you talking about?! What black robed yahoos?!" Yuzu stared at her as if she were going mental too.

"Look, Yuzu, it's complicated alright!"

"No. Karin! Start talking! What's going on! Does this have anything to do with seeing spirits, creepy monsters, or things like that!?"

"Yuzu, not now!"

"Yes, now! Does it or not!"

"Yeah, Yuzu, it does! Ichigo fights badies called Hollows. He leaves his body. How I don't have a clue, but he does. Then he changes into what's called a Soul Reaper. They wear long black kimonos and carry swords. Their purpose is to safely guide spirits to the Soul Society and to defend the earthly plain from evil spirits. That's what Ichigo has been doing since that time when a truck crashed into our clinic. It's fuzzy, but Rukia has something to do with it too. The weirdo with the funky red hairdo, Mr. Urahara, Chad, Orihime, and Uryū are all in on it too!" Karin blinked back the tears of frustration shining in her eyes.

"Karin…that's…that's…"

"The truth! Just because you're afraid to embrace the side of you that can sense the Spirit World doesn't make it all go away! We've been attacked countless times! We've fought them ourselves, only you refuse to believe what's right in front of your nose! Well, open your eyes, little sister! It's all real and it's tearing our big brother apart!" Karin slammed kicks into Ichigo's door until it was in splinters.

"KARIN! That's only gonna make him worse!" Yuzu cried out, bracing for their big brother to come out and roar at them, but there was a gaping hole in his window, and no sign of him.

"Call dad, Yuzu!! Ichigo's gone!! He's really gone this time!!" Karin ignored the tears streaming down her face.

"Karin…you're…you're…crying." Yuzu whimpered. "You never cry…"

"Yeah, well, it's killing me inside seeing him this way. I'm helpless and I hate it!" Karin raced down the hallway and then dashed down the stairs. "Call dad! I'm gonna see if he went to crash with one of his friends!" Karin raced out the front door slamming it behind her.

Yuzu raced for the phone and shakily punched out the number of their dad's cellphone. "Please Daddy…pick up…answer the phone. We need you…" Bursting into tears when he finally answered his phone.

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Rukia and Renji exited the Senkai Gate and were immediately confronted by Karin.

"What the hell did you creeps do to my big brother!?" Karin glared murderously at the two of them.

"Holly hell! She can see us!" Renji's gaped open mouthed at her in shock.

"Of course she can see us you idiot! That's Ichigo's little sister! Don't you pay attention to anything!?" Rukia bopped him in the head.

"Ow! Damn it, Rukia that hurt!" He rubbed the lump forming on his head.

"What did you do to him!?" Karin looked ready to rumble with the two of them.

"Karin, calm down. What's happened to Ichigo?" Rukia asked calmly.

"Yeah, squirt, what's he gotten into now?" Renji smirked.

"He's beyond going mental and it's all your fault!" She snarled at them.

"Our fault?!" Renji scowled down at the little girl. "How the hell is it our fault? We've been…"

Karin slammed a kick into his right shin.

"DAMN IT TO HELL YOU LITTLE BRAT THAT HURT!" He howled in pain.

The blow had been channeled with her own spiritual pressure, so it had been quite effective in downing one of her opponents. "TALK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MAKE HIM BAR HIMSELF IN HIS ROOM FOR OVER TWO DAYS AND THEN RANT TO HIMSELF THAT EVERYTHING…HIS WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN A LIE!?" Karin screamed at them.

Renji and Rukia were at a loss. Neither had a clue about what was going on.

"HE'S GONE! HE'S HURTING AND I CAN'T HELP HIM! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU DID SO THAT I CAN HELP HIM!" She fell to her knees in tears.

"Karin, it's going to be okay." Rukia had changed into her gigai and was kneeling beside her.

"No it's not! He's so upset that he smashed the window in his room to bits and then…"

"Easy kiddo." Renji, now also in his gigai, carefully scooped the little girl into his arms. "We're the good guys. Ichigo is our best friend. Hell, he's like a kid brother to me. We would never intentionally hurt him like that."

"Someone did…" Karin sniffled miserably.

"Well then we'll just have to find out who and then deal with them accordingly." Rukia scanned the area for Ichigo's spiritual pressure and knew in moments exactly where he was. "He's at Urahara's shop."

"Fine. We'll take squirt here back home then go see about Ichigo." Renji had used a Kidō spell to put the girl to sleep.

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"You okay, Renji?" Rukia smirked as Renji gimped along beside her.

"Yeah, I'll live." Renji couldn't help but chuckle. "This little spitfire really packs a punch. It's a good thing that she has some control over her spiritual pressure or I would have ended up with a broken leg."

"Yes, it runs in the family." Rukia sighed, wincing as the force of Ichigo's misery hit her like a brick wall.

"Rukia? You alright?" Renji frowned.

"I'm alright, Renji. Ichigo's just projecting his misery enough for me to hone in on it." Rukia massaged her temples with her fingertips.

"He's all gloomy alright. The question is who caused it and why."

"Something must have happened while he was in the Sereitei. He left without telling me where he was going." Rukia frowned.

"He was fine." Renji shrugged. "Last I saw him he was heading for Old Man Yamamoto's office. It's still mindboggling that the Captain Commander has kids. Hey, you don't think he had words with the old man do you. Hell, that old timer lies all the time to get his own way and half the time he tricks Ichigo into doing all the grunt work for him…"

"Renji, none of this makes any sense."

"Yeah, well, since when does anything Ichigo does make sense…" Renji gaped at the Senkai Gate that had appeared in front of the Kurosaki homestead. "What the hell…"

Someone, nearly the spitting image of Amagai, robed in the uniform of his rank, stepped out of the gate. The spiritual pressure that he exuded, although reined in, was clearly out of even Kenpachi's league. The Shinigami then popped a Soul Candy into his mouth revealing his gigai as Isshin Kurosaki.

"No way…that's his father…" Rukia gasped.

_Well, well, well, now it's all starting to make sense. Ichigo is a full blooded Shinigami…not only that but from THE royal line…that haori…had the symbol of the High King. _ Renji thought in disbelief.

"Well, now what genius?" He shot her a look.

Isshin had Arrancar skulls on his robes holding up his haori.

"Obviously, Ichigo must have discovered the truth. Yes, that has to be it." Rukia nodded, giving no sign that she was startled down to her toes.

"Yeah, well, I'm holding his kid, who looks like she's bawled her eyes out, and that man is scary beyond words power wise. He ranks up there with the old man…shit he must be his number one son…Rukia, it's no wonder that Ichigo can touch all the artifacts! He's the bloody heir to the frickin throne!" Renji hissed. "Other dimension my ass, he's living the carefree life down here in the world of the living. Shit no wonder Karakura town is so important. Your big brother is going to go off the deep end when he hears this…all this time he's turned his nose down at Ichigo as if he were street trash and all along he's been one of the highest ranking royals in the Soul Society. God, I wanna be there when he finds out. He'll be downing sake with Captain Kyōraku and Captain Ukitake like there's no tomorrow."

"Relax, just let me handle it." Rukia walked up the walkway and up to the front door.

"Rukia, I'm telling you this isn't a good idea…"

"Trust me. I'm like a daughter to him. It'll be fine." Rukia rang the bell.

Isshin opened the door, his eyes narrowing at Renji. "What happened to Karin?" He growled softly in the same tone that Ichigo used when he was on the verge of tearing something in two.

"She's fine. Just sleeping." Rukia reassured him.

"She was upset, sir. Uh…worried about her big brother…"

Isshin stepped back to let them inside, then took his little girl out of Renji's arms. "She was crying…" Fire now blazed in his golden amber brown eyes.

"Uh, like I said, sir. She was very upset." Renji gulped.

"Karin never cries."

"Karin shares a bond with Ichigo. When he's upset she feels it. She's an empath and a strong one at that. But then you already know that don't you." Rukia folded her arms across her chest, not the least bit intimidated by him. Her eyes blazed with temper and she was scowling up at him. "How could you. It's no wonder that he's off the scales furious with you!"

"Rukia…now is not the time." Renji hissed.

"No. She's right. Let me get Karin settled upstairs with her sister then we'll talk." Isshin let out a deep heavy sigh resigning himself to his fate.

"Fine. We'll be waiting down here waiting to hear your explanation." Rukia growled.

"Look. Rukia, I didn't want him to find out this way…"

"Well he did. Now go see to Karin and check on Yuzu and then we'll talk." Rukia continued to give him the evil eye.

"Fine. I'll be down in a few. Feel free to help yourselves to whatever we have in the kitchen. I'm sure that Lieutenant Abarai and yourself have both earned a snack. Anyone Ichigo calls friend is welcome here and that includes you Lieutenant, no one will treat you like a 'freeloader' in this house." Isshin headed up the stairs.

Renji headed for the kitchen. "Who am I to disobey a royal decree? I'm gonna go raid the fridge. Wait till Ichigo finds out that he's got a new roommate."

"Honestly. Men can be so hopeless sometimes." Rukia picked up the phone and dialed Urahara's number.

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Urahara's Shop

"Uh, Ichigo. Those wounds on your hand and arm look bad. Come down from there and we'll get it seen to." Urahara called up to where Ichigo was sitting on the roof.

"Yeah, so what. I'm dead aren't I?" Ichigo snarled back.

"Well, not exactly…" Urahara frowned worriedly up at him.

"What do ya mean by that?" He scowled down at the fuzzy image looking up at him.

"While, it's true that you're in a gigai, but that doesn't mean that you're not alive. You can still be harmed or in this case bleed to death if not treated properly."

"Huh…" Ichigo blinked to clear his blurring vision.

Urahara easily leaped up onto the roof. "You can still die unless we treat those wounds."

"Zangetsu…" Ichigo collapsed in his arms. "He's really gonna kill me this time…"

"Nah. You're just having one hell of a week." Urahara opened a trap door on the roof and jumped down into it with Ichigo in his arms.

"Manager. What happened to Ichigo?" Ururu blinked worriedly at him.

"Boss. Does young Kurosaki need medical assistance?" Tessai eyed the blood dripping down Ichigo's fingers with a worried frown.

"Yeah, the kid had a battle with a window and lost. No matter. We'll fix him up good as new."

"Boss. You'd better call Isshin. He's lost a lot of blood." Tessai took his measure, not liking what he was getting from the teen.

"Yeah, I know." Urahara sighed in defeat. The guilt he was feeling was eating him up inside. "I'm afraid that we're really up to our necks this time and he isn't gonna believe a word of it."

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Kurosaki Clinic

Isshin eyed the two young people sitting in his office, their concern about Ichigo made it easier to say what he had to say. "I left home twenty Earth years ago, over a hundred years ago our time, to be with Masaki Ishida. I never intended to return. I didn't think I could, seeing as I had taken a Quincy for my bride. Dad never forgives anyone who defies the laws of the Soul Society. Besides that he still had Amagai to lord over. I felt like I was in a cage half the time. Being the first born son, my fate was sealed at birth. I rebelled against my old man every chance I got…"

"Sounds familiar…" Renji snorted under his breath.

Rukia kicked him. "Shut up and let him talk."

"Well it does…"

"Renji…"

"Fine…"

"Anyway, on one of my escapes down to Earth I met my Masaki." Isshin eyed the poster on the wall of his beloved and sighed deeply. "I sent word to dad that I needed some space and he agreed on the condition that I would return if I was needed. It wasn't until he called me back that I realized that I had to sever all ties with the Soul Society. I had found that I had a natural talent for healing others and during my time here on Earth had spent the time to train to become a doctor."

"Years and years on Earth were like months back home. I married my soul mate and the two of us set up a Clinic and started our family. I was happy until my past once again reared up its ugly head in my life, when Ichigo was born. He was such a special little guy, always curious, and a beacon for anything spirit oriented. I went to any means to protect all of them from harm. It was obvious that I hadn't done nearly enough."

"Masaki died at the hands of Grand Fisher and Ichigo went from a happy  
curious little boy to the angry teen that you see today. I couldn't reach  
him, but I could focus on making him strong enough to handle anything and anyone he came across. He embraced being able to see spirits, but then he was a hard on anyone that annoyed him or who he saw trying to bully the underdogs. Kisuke and I kept careful watch on him for any signs that his Shinigami heritage was starting to emerge, but nothing happened until the night Rukia arrived. The rest is history."

"Kisuke and I realized the repercussions of Rukia's actions and knew that  
it was a matter of time before my old man sent someone to collect her and bring her back home. We also realized that Ichigo might try to play hero and end up getting himself killed, so when that event did finally come to pass Kisuke put the plan into motion. For the first time in forever Ichigo was thriving and it was clear that the key to keeping him that way was to awaken his Shinigami spirit within. "

Renji stared at the Soul Society artifact on Isshin's shelf. Its meaning was clear. Karakura Town was the residence of the High King and his family. No wonder everything went down here. Aizen had to have known as well. "Well, congratulations. Job above and beyond well-done. Tell me something, your majesty, was it really necessary to make him one third Hollow as well or was that just a bonus?"

"It was a side effect to reawakening his pure Shinigami spirit within him. That tight ass prat Byakuya damn nearly killed him and it was the only means to save his life and rekindle his birthright. Ichigo is a pure blood Shinigami, where as my other two are…Excuse me for a sec." The phone rang next to his arm.

He saw who was calling and he answered it on the second ring. "Hey Kisuke… What's up? Are your three charges fairing well?" He listened intently to the other end of the line, while absently rubbing the bridge of his nose as if to ward off an oncoming migraine.

"Yeah, well, he's as stubborn as his old man. How bad did he? I see…No. No. I agree. It's not like this is the first time…See ya in a few…bye." Isshin hung up the receiver, and then got up to grab his medical bag. "Well, kids, duty calls, but you can tag along if you want to. You see I have to patch up my son again. You two can check in on the other three while you're there."

"Other three," Renji frowned.

"Yeah, his two men and lady-at-arms, you know them as Uryū, Chad, and Orihime. The three of them are recuperating over at Kisuke's place under Tessai's watchful care. They tangled with the Assassins league and didn't come out unscathed." Isshin filled them in as he loaded his bag with everything he would need to treat his son.

"Never mind that, tell me what's wrong with Ichigo!" Rukia demanded.

"He fought with his bedroom window and the window left one hell of calling card on him." Isshin opened up a bottle of aspirin and shook two of the pills into his palm. He swallowed the two pills without any water. "I really do love my son."

"Well, you should tell him that, even Ichigo needs reassurance and stability." Rukia told him icily and then stalked from his office.

"I know that I've screwed everything up with him by handling things like I did. But, I was lost without Masaki and desperate to protect him any way I could."

Renji shrugged his shoulders, "Ichigo is lucky to have a father who cares for him. Then again what's done can't be undone. You just have to get through it."

"Yeah, well, his grandfather has decreed to me that it's time for Ichigo to complete his training…" Isshin muttered under his breath, as they left his office.

"The Academy!?" Renji exclaimed gaping at him in stunned shock.

"Yeah. He feels that it's what Ichigo needs to rein in his Inner-Hollow." Isshin paused near the front door to scrawl a note on the whiteboard. Telling his daughters that he had to go collect their brother at Kisuke's and that he'd be back with him as soon as he could.

"You can't just ignore his wishes. He'll just send someone to carry them out. Who I haven't gotta clue. Not even Captain Kenpachi wants to spar with him these days." Renji confided in him, as they paused beside his car. He'd never been in a car so of course Renji wasn't keen on getting in what looked to him like a metal deathtrap on wheels.

"Get in, Renji. Ichigo needs a blood transfusion and driving over there is the fastest means possible." Isshin ordered the reluctant young man.

"Uh, no offence, sir, but I'm gonna Flash step to the shop…" Renji tried to step around the car.

"Get in, Chicken. I promise not to crash us on the way there." Isshin smirked then was all business again. "Look, I would rather not alert my father as to the current condition of my kid. Either of you ditching your gigais will do that. Now get in the car."

"Stop bickering at each other and let's go! Ichigo needs us!" Rukia snarled at them from the front passenger seat of the car.

The two men jumped into the van and in moments they were speeding down the rode.

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"Orihime, getting upset isn't going to help matters any. You aren't even close to being able to use your powers yet." Uryū gingerly sat up on his sleep mat and frowned at her.

"Uryū's right. Orihime, you'll just have to trust Master Tessai to heal him." Chad calmly sat up to drink the healing herbal brew that Jinta had brought the three of them to drink. He was the only one of the three of them that was nearly completely healed and had just come back from checking on Ichigo.

"What happened, Chad?" Orihime blinked back tears of frustration at being helpless to do anything.

"It's obvious that he lost his temper again, Orihime." Uryū surmised. "He's been on slow boil for days about something and as usual he chose to stew about it instead of confiding to one of us."

"Uryū. He doesn't mean to close himself off it's just how he handles things that bother him." Orihime whimpered miserably.

"I know that, Orihime. But, even Ichigo needs to rely on his friends to help him see things clearly, especially, when his emotions are off the scales like this." Uryū grumbled darkly, laid back down, and closed his eyes.

"Chad, did Mr. Urahara say what happened to him?" She chose to ignore him completely.

"No not really. Ichigo's arm looked really bad though, like he'd punched his fist through a window or something." Chad shrugged.

"Yeah, well, knowing Ichigo he probably ignored any sign that he was nearly bleeding to death." Uryū grumbled.

"Uryū, don't say something like that! Maybe the Assassins Guild got him!" Orihime snapped.

"That situation has been rectified for days. No. Ichigo most likely took his temper out on his window…" Uryū opened on eye to look over at her.

"Whatever happened involves Urahara." Chad laid back down on his sleep mat. "And Ichigo's dad as well…"

"Well, that figures. Urahara is always up to something and Ichigo's father, well, he's not anywhere near the clown that he portrays himself to be." Uryū closed his eyes and attempted to go back to sleep.

"Chad? How is that even possible when Mr. Kurosaki has been off on a mercy mission to China this whole time?" Orihime was completely confused.

"That's most likely the problem, seeing as my father happens to be on the same mission and Ichigo's father isn't anywhere near China…" Uryū informed her of the facts.

"What?!"

"He helped load up the supplies on the plane with him, but then an emergency came up so he couldn't go." Uryū finished his explanation and added. "My father lied to me about never being a Quincy again, so odds are that more than likely his father has been lying to him too. Ichigo is a pure blood Shinigami, meaning that one or both of his parents had to be one as well."

"Yeah, that would explain some things." Chad nodded.

"But…everyone said that he was a Substitute Shinigami…"

"Go back to sleep, Orihime. He's going to be fine and as for the other, well, Ichigo needed a title of some kind, and that was the best one they could come up with seeing as he's one of kind." Uryū yawned sleepily.

"I guess you're right, Uryū that does make sense…" Orihime was able to settle down and fall back to sleep.

"Uryū?" Chad growled softly.

"Yeah, Chad."

"Ichigo's gonna be beyond messed up if what you're saying is right."

"Yeah, Chad. I know." He sighed deeply. "It's his Achilles' heel. Ichigo cares deeply for those he sees as his family and if one of them were to lie like that…Well, let's just say that it could very well destroy him…"

-----------------------------------------------

Soifon frowned down at Ichigo's still form. "I'll have to report this to the Captain-Commander."

Kisuke shot Yoruichi a look as did Tessai.

"Now, Soifon, what he doesn't know won't hurt him." Yoruichi quietly led her out of the room and slid the door shut behind her.

"Lady Yoruichi, I was ordered to bring Kurosaki to him."

"Soifon, trust me we've got this handled."

"I can't…Lady Yoruichi…"

"Soifon, I know that he finally clued in about Ichigo's Inner-Hollow and after the whole Assassin situation I can well understand his wanting to see him. However, Ichigo is going through his own emotional trauma right now, so now is not the time for Yamamoto to try to rein him in. Ichigo is the savior of the Sereitei and would never turn on any of us." Yoruichi was beginning to lose her patience with her former charge.

"I know that you're fond of the boy, but my orders are clear…"

"The hell with your orders! No one touches my kid! Ya got me, little lady." Isshin stalked down the hallway. "I'm here, Yoruichi. Is he in there?"

Yoruichi narrowed her golden eyes up at him. "Fix this, Isshin. He's hurting because of you and Kisuke not coming clean with him about everything. He's not a little kid anymore and hasn't been since Masaki's death."

"Bitch at me later. My kid needs me." Isshin muttered darkly.

Rukia and Renji, having checked on their sleeping friends, had come to check on Ichigo. They passed the three of them and quietly slipped into the other room. Neither of them wanted to stand around while the Captain, the former Captain, and the King squared off with each other.

"Soifon, meet Isshin Kurosaki. Isshin, this is Soifon 2nd division Captain. Soifon has come here for Ichigo."

"Well, she can tell my old man to go to hell. My kid is staying put. He'll have to find some other savoir for his precious Soul Society. He's been through enough. It's high time that all of you got off your lazy asses and did your job for a change." Isshin sneered, his eyes blazing with temper.

"Old man," Soifon's eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah, Yamamoto is my father and Amagai is my baby brother. Ya got a problem with that, little girl." Isshin dared her to defy him with his eyes.

"Go see to Ichigo, Isshin. Tessai feels that he is in need of a blood transfusion."

"Yeah, I heard what he did to himself." Isshin grumbled. "I thought Shinji had taught him to control his Inner-Hollow."

"He can control him. It's only when he suffers severe mental trauma that he allows him to aggravate him like he did tonight." Urahara stood in the open doorway.

"Get in here and help Ichigo!" Rukia snarled sharply.

"Rukia! Stop snarling at the High King like that! Ichigo is just sleeping not comatose!" Renji hissed.

"King!?" Soifon gasped, as yet another bombshell exploded around her.

"Yeah, that's right. Ya got a problem with that?!"

"But…I…I…don't understand…"

"Not my problem." Isshin pushed them out of his way stalking passed Urahara to see to his son.

"It's a long story, Soifon. C'mon, I'll tell it to you over some tea." Yoruichi led the dazed captain down the hallway.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zangetsu's domain

Ichigo found himself sitting sideways on a skyscraper again, while Zangetsu stood staring down at him from his perch on a steel flag pole.

"Go ahead let me have it…" He sighed in defeat.

"_Ichigo, why is it that you give others sound advice, but never follow it_?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"_You advised the young captain that he didn't have to suffer alone, to let his friends take some of his pain, and problems that goes with it. That he was hurting all of those around him by carrying everything on his own?_"

"This isn't the same thing…I haven't lost my resolve...and everyone is healing from tangling with our last enemies…"

"_Ichigo, are you ashamed of who and what you are?_" Zangetsu tried a different tactic.

"No…this has nothing to do with being ashamed of anything. He lied to me…" Ichigo grumbled darkly.

"_Yes, this is true, but did you ever think to ask the reason?_"

"Why ask. It's obvious that he still blames me about Mom's death. It's not like the two of us have father and son talks or anything. Hell, he gets his kicks out of knocking me around all the time. I wasn't strong enough to save mom…" Ichigo glared up at his sensei.

"_Have you ever tried to sit down and talk with your father?_"

Ichigo laughed bitterly. "Yeah, right, Dad's not one for heart-to-heart chats."

"_Like father like son it would seem._" Zangetsu arched a brow at him.

"Look, he lied to me about being a Shinigami. Not just any Shinigami, but the son of the Captain-Commander, and here's the real eye opener he's the High King!"

"_You've recently gotten a taste of the life of a royal…"_

"Yeah, and I have no intention of being sucked into that insanity."

"_Ichigo, talk to your father and you might find the answers that your mind is so desperately seeking._" Zangetsu jumped down from his perch to stand before him. "_You won't be able to carry on with the next phase of your training until you resolve this situation with your father._"

"Next phase of my training…" Ichigo frowned up at him.

"_Talk to your father…_" Zangetsu faded away.

"Wait! What's left for me to learn?!" Ichigo sprang to his feet.

"_Your father…Ichigo…_"

"Zangetsu…!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Forty-eight hours later…

Ichigo awoke finding himself in one of Urahara's guest rooms surrounded by concerned sleeping family members and two of his closest friends, all sound asleep on sleep mats that had been laid out on the floor. His right hand and arm were bandaged clear up to just above his elbow and if that wasn't bad enough he felt as weak as a newborn kitten.

Aw man…I must have been dying or something for all of them to be here like this. Rukia, Renji, Karin, Yuzu…Dad?!

Man he looks like hell, not that I care. Mental note never do that again. My baby sisters must be worried out of their minds…Has Karin been crying…?

"Well, it's about time you finally decided to rejoin the land of the living. Leave it to you to sleep through your sixteenth birthday after trying to kill yourself by bleeding to death by taking out the window in your bedroom." Isshin sat up to check his son's vitals.

"Yeah, like you give a damn…" Ichigo glared up at him. "I'm sorry that my nearly bleeding to death messed up your little family reunion with…"

"You're pissed at me. I get that, but it's not…"

"It's not what, Dad?" Ichigo struggled to sit up, but Isshin easily pushed him back down on the mat.

"Calm down, son…"

"No! You've gotten the results that you wanted. I'm the Ultimate Fucking Shinigami one man army, a blending of Soul Reaper and Quincy with a little Hollow mixed in for the hell of it! I'm living, but then again I'm not!" Ichigo used his Substitute Shinigami charm to leave his weakened body and also so that he could snarl at his father all he wanted without disturbing his sisters. "Yeah, I can still bleed to death, but then so can everyone else. No matter if they're from the living or the Soul Society! Add to that my father is a fucking royal! And not just any royal either, you're the high fucking King, and first born son of the head of the whole God Damned Gotei 13!" Ichigo let his feelings fly at his father.

Isshin stood there and let him get it all out of his system.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough at five fucking years-old or smart enough to know a spiritual entity from an actual living kid! But I became stronger! Hardened my heart and soul, so that I could never feel that kind of mind numbing pain again!! Became stronger than anyone to insure that I could keep my family safe!! I know that I screwed up…that you hate me for mom dying! But for you to lie to me everyday knowing all the hell I was going through the whole time! To stand back and watch me endure all of that shit over and over again!" Ichigo ignored the hot angry tears streaming down his cheeks.

"That father is what I don't understand! After I saved Rukia, then defeated the Bount, and then endured everything that Aizen threw at me to get Orihime back. Did you and Urahara pat yourselves on the back? You and Urahara must have been so proud of your creation, the cure for both of your guilty consciences. It's no wonder that Shinji, Hiyori, and the others despised all of you so much. You turned your backs on anything that you deemed a mistake refusing to acknowledge the repercussions of your actions. If you can't see it or if it can be exiled then it's no longer your problem anymore! I'm sick of paying for and cleaning up all of your mistakes! My friends and I were nothing but pawns in Grandfather's little game of chess…"

Isshin shed his own gigai, so that he stood on equal ground with him. It was killing him inside to see his son this way.

"The only one who screwed up was me. I failed you and Masaki by not being there to protect you. I couldn't get to the two of you in time and it cost me my soul mate and nearly cost me your life. Urahara kept telling me that you were a special little guy. Hell, you glowed like a beacon from the day you were born. Masaki called you her little ray of sunshine. I wouldn't listen to him when he came to me about you spilling out spiritual energy, that it put you in grave danger, and the reason you were always so scared was because you saw Hollows and spirits as clear as day. No. You were just my little guy, a little too sensitive sometimes, but you were five. Then something called me away for a few hours, so I couldn't go with Masaki to pick you up from your karate class. All hell broke loose all over town and I had to fight through hundreds of Hollows to get to you both, but it was too late. Masaki was gone, but no one and nothing was ever going to make me lose you again. I couldn't ignore things any longer. You needed to be able to protect yourself for what might eventually come to pass…" Isshin, like his son, ignored the tears streaming down his face.

"Go on…"

"Then Rukia arrived and my worst nightmare had finally become a reality."

"Yeah, well, I handled it didn't I."

"Like you were born to it, so much so that all I did was keep an eye on you. For the first time in forever you were enjoying something and thriving at it. You were channeling all of that pent up anger and energy into something good. You had a purpose. Then I failed you again that night when Renji and Byakuya arrived to take Rukia back with them to the Soul Society. I had just arrived in time to watch Byakuya damn near kill you. Your blood stained my hands as I carried you back to Kisuke's place. I sewed you back up, transfused you with my own blood, bandaged your wounds, and then put your life in the hands of my best friend. Neither of us realized that you possessed unimaginable power, so much so, that you bestowed a sliver of it to two of your friends in order to protect them."

"When did you don the uniform again?"

"When Shinji made his appearance I went to Kisuke and he created another gigai for me so that I could once again tap into my Shinigami form. I was testing it during your chat with Shinji. Kon, Ririn, Kuroud, and Noba were all being stalked by Grand Fisher…"

"Him again?!"

"Yeah, he was hunting for you, but got me instead." Isshin smirked.

"Felt good did it."

"Yeah, too bad the fight he put up wasn't even remotely interesting. One slice and he was history." Isshin shrugged.

"One slice…"

"Yep, I didn't even call on my shikai to awaken my sword."

"What division were you anyway?"

"I was Captain of the Royal guard, which by the way is the highest rank under the old man. Kisuke was the former warden of the Soul Society's version of a prison before becoming Captain, which by the way was a demotion. Soifon replaced Yoruichi's post as Captain of Special forces and all of Shinji's crew were former Captains or Lieutenants. Aizen had once been Shinji's Lieutenant…"

"No way…"

"Yes way, kid. It was Aizen, not Kisuke who caused the Hollowfication to them. Kisuke just got blamed for it and it was Tessai, who at the time was Captain of the Kidō forces, who helped him and Yoruichi, get all of them safely out of the Soul Society." Isshin affectionately reached over and ruffled his son's spiky strawberry blonde hair.

"Dad, lay off the hair or I'll hurt you…" Ichigo growled.

"Now is that anyway to treat your old man when I'm gonna personally see to completing your Shinigami training?" Isshin shot him a hurt look.

"Dad. I can match almost all of the Captains now. Hell, the only thing I can't do is Kidō …" Ichigo now had an idea of what phase of his training that Zangetsu was talking about, but Kidō was so god damned complex and the incantation took frickin forever for someone to say! Yeah, it had helped to finally talk to his dad, but Kidō !

"Exactly. You've put it off long enough, most Soul Reapers master that long before even attempting Bankai."

"I had to learn Bankai in order to save Rukia and be able to face off with Byakuya."

"Yes, I know and you did it in less than three days, so learning Kidō should be easy for you."

"Yeah, but dad if I do that then…I'll…be…a…a…"

"A genuine Soul Reaper. Hell, kiddo, you've already surpassed Captaincy level and earned the respect of all the Captains, Lieutenants, and the majority of the Gotei 13 Protection Squads. Dad's beyond proud of you. He just feels that you're not happy living the life of a sixteen-year-old High School student."

"I'm in the top of my class…"

"Yes, but are you happy there?"

"It's school. I'm supposed to be focused, not ready to party." Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Taking your frustrations out on Keigo when he annoys you is not what I call focused." Isshin arched a brow at him, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"So you have been spying on me!" Ichigo's temper was back up again.

"No. I'm your father and you do hear things during parent teacher one-on-one meetings. She mostly blames your big brother on being a bad influence for you." Isshin scrubbed at the back of his neck.

"Oh yeah, that…" Ichigo groaned.

"Ichigo, you're my only boy, so who the hell. No. How the hell did she get that idea?"

"Renji…He, uh, kinda shows up during school hours. We kinda, well, I guess it does look like…" Ichigo scrubbed his hand across his face in frustration, his face flushing red. "He is…like a big brother to me, but if you tell him that I said that I'll…"

"Son, relax. Renji feels the same way." Isshin grinned, highly amused to see his son so out of his emotional element.

Ichigo decided to change the subject and focused on the people around them. "Dad. How are they all sleeping? I mean, we weren't exactly quiet and the majority of them can easily see us in these forms."

"Kidō does have its perks, especially when you want some privacy. Hakufuku 'white prostration' works every time." Isshin smirked.

"Yeah, but it takes so blasted long to say those never ending incantations." Ichigo scowled.

"Nah. It just seems like it at first, but once you master the basics you can forgo the activation incantation entirely."

"Yeah, Rukia's really good at Kidō . She particularly likes Blue Fire Crash down, Red Flame Cannon, and White Lightning." Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"She got ya a few times, huh." Isshin chuckled.

Ichigo had no comment about that, but wasn't about to get coerced into having to learn Kidō either.

"Why do I need to know Kidō when I already know how to use Cero or something like it anyway?" He shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't that big of a deal.

Isshin had been well aware of some of his abilities, but to be able to use Cero, now that was news. He wasn't all too sure that it was good news either. If his father found out that Ichigo could use Cero, well, he didn't even wanna think about it.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to find his voice again. "Cero…did you just say that you knew how to wield the Hollow death ray."

"Yeah, I used Cero once before when I was training with Shinji and the others. I look something out of an alien movie as a Hollow. I mean really, freaky with a lizard head, tail, and the works. It only happened the one time. I've really mastered the Hollowfication transformation so much so that I can maintain the mask indefinitely. Instead of at first which was like under a minute. In that form my speed, stamina, and strength are on overdrive. I usually wear it when I'm in over my head and my Bankai isn't even denting my opponent. It increases Getsuga Tenshō ten fold. It's like Cero merges with the attack and can easily best anyone I come up against at least the majority of the time." Ichigo couldn't help but notice that his dad seemed troubled by what he was telling him. "Why is my knowing it a bad thing? I've used that attack countless times in the Soul Society to end their messes, so it's not like it's a secret or anything."

"Well, son, that's kind of hard to say. In some eyes Cero is strictly used by the bad guys and wielding it is blatant law breaking…" Isshin scratched his head, as he tried to wrap his mind around this new revelation about his son.

"Yeah, dad, I know all of that already. Hey, it's not like I wanted to learn it or anything. I just kinda knew how when Shinji and the others were training me to harness my Inner-Hollow." Ichigo grumbled in his defense.

"So you've really mastered your Inner-Hollow, huh?"

"Yeah, that's right. I'm in complete control of him." Ichigo grinned. He was proud of that achievement.

"Oh really?" Isshin arched a brow, shooting him a parental look. "I've got a window back at the house that says otherwise."

----------------------------------------------------

"Yeah, well, I was pissed and it's complicated." Ichigo stalked out of the room.

"Then enlighten me." Isshin wasn't about to drop the subject.

"Dad, just let it go."

"No. Your darker side is a problem, if it affects you so much so that you take your temper out on your window and then not give a damn that you're bleeding to death. That, son, is a red flag." He placed a hand on his shoulder.

Ichigo turned around and glared defiantly into eyes identical to his own. "Back off! Stop pushing me! You can't just all of a sudden decide to be a parent who gives a damn! All of the lies got to me and that's why I lost it!"

"Lies are necessary when one can't handle hearing the truth. You proved that two days ago."

"Well, if my father would have been honest with me from the beginning then…"

"You would most likely be dead right now."

"That's a load of crap!"

"No, that's the truth. I stayed out of it because you didn't need me to do anything except patch you up or donate blood when the situation called for it. You were in your element with the idea that you were unique, a one of a kind, which in a way that's exactly what you are. Your focus was on whatever situation had arisen and not one-upping your old man. Which is exactly what you would have done had you known the truth and that would have gotten you and your friends killed."

"I'm not like my darker side and never will be. I won't even let that happen. Kariya tried to use the same strategy, as did Aizen. It doesn't work on me. My friends and family mean everything to me and that will never change. My heart and soul will forever remain pure, regardless of my Inner-Hollow side, which is at times is a real pain in the ass. I have a clear conscience, but that doesn't mean that I won't use any means or break the rules to protect those I love. If that makes me a rebel, then that's just too damn bad, they'll have to live with it." Ichigo stopped in front of a large trap door in the floor and flipped it open with his toe.

"So you wanna go one-on-one with your old man, huh." Isshin knew exactly where the trapdoor led to.

"No. I wanna take my frustrations out, by sparing with Zangetsu. Besides, you're probably too rusty to be much of a challenge for me." He jumped down into the dark hole.

"Rusty is it. I'll show you rusty. You little piss ante." Isshin jumped in after him.

---------------------------------------

Next Chapter two

The sparring grounds…

--------------------------------------

Cindra © Sept 2008-2009


	2. Chapter 2

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Two

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

------------------------------------------

Urahara yawned sleepily in the doorway. "I didn't know that I was that tired."

"Boss." Tessai frowned. "Ichigo and Isshin are gone and I sense that Hakufuku has been cast in here."

"Yeah, it was their spiritual pressure that woke me up. Isshin must have wanted some privacy for their heart-to-heart talk." Urahara surveyed the sleeping individuals and sighed. "I really don't think that the shielding in the sparing grounds is strong enough to withstand the two of them, if they both go all out at the same time."

"Boss. Isshin wouldn't want to hurt him, not with him still in a weakened state."

"Ichigo is rarely in a weakened state, even after facing deaths door, and Isshin wouldn't release his shikai unless Ichigo acted like a smart ass around him. Tenmou is his favored weapon and even that is able to easily handle virtually any Espada." Urahara mused.

The floor underneath them shook under their feet.

"What the hell was that?!" Renji sat up instantly awake.

"Ichigo?" Rukia sat up to look over at him then scowled. "That idiot! He's still wounded in either state!"

"Rukia, that wasn't Ichigo's spiritual pressure…" Renji frowned, as he focused on the energy, trying to think of where he'd felt this same spiritual pressure before. "This is what I felt during the war with Aizen and I never did find out who it was."

"Hmmm…was that an Earthquake?" Yuzu sleepily blinked open her eyes.

Karin was sitting up wide-eyed and alert. "No Yuzu, that's Daddy and Ichigo."

"Daddy's a Soul Reaper like big brother?" Yuzu yawned.

"Yeah, that's why Ichigo was so steamed with him." Karin nodded. "Dad hid it from him all this time, but Ichigo isn't really that mad at him anymore. No, more like frustrated because Dad's holding back something from him." She focused on her brother and father and grinned. "Dad doesn't wanna hurt him and Ichigo wants him to take their match seriously."

"I don't understand. Big brother's right there still asleep…" Yuzu was confused.

"Yuzu, it's like I said. Ichigo leaves his body and goes off to fight in his spirit form." Karin took both of her hands in her own and knelt down next to her twin. "If you would just push past your fear all the time you would be able to see them too. I know that seeing spirits can be really scary, but the majority of them are harmless."

"I'm not like you and Ichigo…" Yuzu whimpered.

"That's not true, you're just afraid that you're gonna see some scary monster." Karin reached up to brush away the tears in her twin's eyes.

Rukia smiled at her. "See how Renji and I are right now?"

"Uh-huh." Yuzu nodded.

"Well, we look exactly the same in our Shinigami forms, and we're not scary to you are we?"

"No not really."

"You two are friends with Jinta and Ururu right?" Urahara smiled down at her.

"Yes, are they spiritual beings too?" Yuzu stared wide-eyed at him.

"Yep, in fact those two are older than I am and that's saying quite a lot. Jinta and Ururu are two of a kind, very powerful in their own rights, and can more than handle themselves in battle or in any situation that they come across." Urahara nodded.

"Rukia!!" Kon raced into the room. "My beloved Rukia is back!!" He made a beeline for Rukia's chest only to end up grabbed and thrown across the room.

"Bostov?" Yuzu's eyes were as big as saucers. "How is one of my stuffed animals talking?"

"Uh…oops…my bad. You're dreaming, kid, so go back to sleep." Kon jumped back to his feet and walked over to order his former tormenter.

"That's Kon. He's what's known as a modsoul and for the most part takes Ichigo's place when he's off fighting Hollows in his Shinigami form. He's a little pervert, but he's harmless." Rukia glowered at Kon.

"Yuzu, he's Karakura King." Karin smirked.

"Really? Are you Karakura King, Bostov?" She blinked down at him.

"The names Kon, kid. Yeah, that's me." Kon planted his paws on his hips glaring defiantly up at her.

"You help my big brother too?"

"Yeah, usually when he needs me to fill in for him down here on Earth." Kon nodded.

Yuzu scooped him up into her arms and hugged the breath out of him. "Thank you, so much for helping him!"

"Okay kid…uruh…can't breath…" Kon gasped for air.

"Oh…sorry. Did I hurt you?" Yuzu held him away from her.

"Knock it off, Kon. It's not like you breathe air, unless you're in Ichigo." Renji rolled his eyes at him.

"Put me down, will ya. I'm not one of your stuffed toys!"

"Sorry…" Yuzu set him back down. "It's just that you look like one."

"He's fine, Yuzu." Rukia reassured the young girl.

"Kon, be nice to the little princess or her father might just behead you or something." Renji picked him up by the ear and held him up in front of him.

"Princess. Yeah, right, Renji and Ichigo's the heir to the Soul Society's throne." Kon glared at him.

"Actually, that's exactly what Ichigo is." Renji informed him. "Their dad is one of us…"

"Yeah, that I know…"

"He's also Yamamoto's oldest son and High King of the Soul Society."

Kon was now speechless.

"Dad? King? Oh my…" Yuzu couldn't believe her ears.

"Wait a second if our Dad is a king then what did he leave the Soul Society for. Not that I would want him to be the leader of anything, other than being a fairly good doctor, our Dad's a mess. Organized our dad is not. If he didn't have Yuzu and me to look after him he'd be lost. He has a hard enough time trying to act like he's a responsible adult, let alone the father of three." Karin stared at Renji in disbelief.

"That's all for show. Trust me. Your old man is not as he portrays himself to be." Kon grumbled as Renji set him down. "He only acts that way as a cover so that no one would even think that he's not one of them. It's true. I saw him take down Grand Fisher with one swipe of his sword, after he lectured him about why his Zanpakuto wasn't the size of a skyscraper. After that he and Urahara threatened to end my existence if I so much as tried to tell Ichigo the truth." He glared over at Urahara.

"Yeah, it's true that we did threaten Kon, but we had our reasons. Ichigo needed Shinji to train him to control his darker side. Him finding out that his father was a Shinigami, well, that would have made a mess out of what was already a dicey situation." Urahara sighed deeply. "All that you girls need to know is that your brother and father would take on the world, Heuco Mundo, or the entire Gotei 13 in order to insure yours and anyone else they love or see as friend or family's safety…"

"Did someone set off Ichigo again?" Uryū, having felt the immense spiritual pressure, left bed to investigate.

"Is Ichigo better?" Orihime leaned heavily against Chad.

"He doesn't seem angry to me." Chad, completely healed, easily held up his two friends.

"Uryū, Orihime, you should be in bed." Rukia frowned at them in concern.

"I'm fine, Rukia. Tell me who he's sparing with in the underground training area?" Uryū asked stubbornly.

"Yes, it feels as if he's fighting someone with his same signature spiritual pressure, but that's not possible is it?" Orihime asked weakly.

"It's very possible when the Shinigami that he's sparring with is his father. I assure you that he's in perfectly good hands. We'll even go down and watch if you wish, but at the moment we were trying to reassure Yuzu that her birthright isn't anything to be scared about and for the most part should be embraced." Urahara explained in his usual casual laid back tone. "Oh, and Uryū, in case your dad forgot to mention it, Isshin married your aunt making you and Ichigo cousins."

"Huh?!" Orihime and Chad gaped at him in total disbelief.

"It all makes perfect sense now. He's a hybrid. Astounding, to think that Ichigo of all people has Quincy blood running through his veins. No wonder we cancel each other out…" Uryū did his usual and brainstormed the facts that he had just been given instead of letting it floor him. "We're like the yin and yang symbol, complete opposites, yet of the same of the line."

"Exactly." Urahara nodded. "It's complicated, but Isshin and Ryūken were very close friends until the night of Masaki's murder, that tore their friendship apart. Isshin had been off gathering Intel on what Heuco Mundo was up to that night. Ryūken, having sensed that an attack was imminent, was keeping watch over Karakura Town. Ryūken has a sixth sense about these things." Urahara closed his eyes and sighed deeply, as if this was painful to talk about. "Anyway, the Hollow attack was widespread and he couldn't prevent the deaths of your mother or his twin sister. The Shinigami were taken by complete surprise and Isshin was late getting back. Ryūken never forgave him and then not long after that they took the life of his father. That was the last straw. Uryū was all he had left, so he vowed to focus on the living rather than the dead and was determined to undermine his son's attempts at becoming a Quincy. He took a different approach than Isshin did, but in the end the two of you took on your destinies and have been thriving ever since. Together the two of you make a formidable team."

"I'll say…" Renji smirked. "With your brains and his limitless power there isn't a situation that the two of you can't face and win. Now add Chad's strength and Inoue's special talents along with Rukia and me and you've got an unbeatable team."

"Do you three leave your bodies too?" Yuzu asked timidly. This was all so much to take in.

"No. Ichigo is the only one of us that can completely leave his body. The three of us with the help of Urahara, Rukia, and Renji navigate the various gates by our spiritual pressure levels alone." Uryū patiently explained, seeing as Chad and Inoue were shocked speechless.

"Yuzu, it's way over our heads, all you have to know is that they're the good guys, and that it's okay if you see spirits…" Karin was overwhelmed herself.

"Look, all you have to understand is that you have a formidable team keeping all of you safe and if you come across a spirit just tell your brother or one of us and we'll help them cross over to the Soul Society." Renji was eager to go see what was going on in the underground sparing grounds, that and he was starving.

"Ok…" Yuzu managed a weak smile.

"Good, now that this is all taken care of Breakfast is ready." Tessai informed them.

"Thank you, Tessai. Are Jinta and Ururu spying on Isshin and Ichigo?" Urahara was glad that this conversation was over.

"I sent them down there in case one of them needed any immediate first-aid." Tessai nodded.

"Good thinking, my friend. Let's all of us go get something to eat, it'll be good for the three of you to be up and around for a while." Urahara smiled.

------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile down in Urahara's underground training grounds…

After nearly two straight hours sparring with his dad, Ichigo was beginning to sweat, while Isshin wasn't even sweating yet, nor had he called upon his sword. Ichigo on the other hand was already at Bankai.

"Stop messing around, Dad. Call upon your sword already, will ya!" Ichigo glared impatiently at him.

"Why?" Isshin rolled his shoulders, on each of his shoulders was a skull trophy of an Arrancar and Vastorōde that he had slain. They acted as the fasteners that kept his haori fastened to his kimono. His haori bore the symbol of his rank as High King, the same symbol that was on Ichigo's substitute shinigami charm.

"I rarely if ever use my zanpakuto. I surpassed that over a millennia ago, when like Yoruichi, I mastered the flash cry fighting style. The time I spent in Hueco Mundo gave me plenty of time to master Tenmou instead." He sheathed his sword and then pulled a large bejeweled glaive, with five razor sharp points, from his robes.

"So what's the big deal about that or is it like Amagai's tuning fork weapon?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the weapon in his father's hands.

"The Kasumioji family created Tenmou for me as a gift centuries ago for surpassing all three shinigami skills. It has the power of five Captain level zanpakuto. Each jewel in front of the blades represents an elemental form of some kind. Amatsu Ryuujin is a force unto itself." He patted the zanpakuto at his side before returning his focus to his glaive. "But Tenmou takes fighting to a whole other level."

"Dad, haven't those weapons done enough damage?" He scowled.

"No. This is nothing like a bakkoto weapon. It just takes being in tune to your weapon up another notch. I'm in complete control when I wield it. Watch and I'll prove it to you." Isshin explained.

Ichigo shot him a skeptical look.

"Awaken Tenmou." He growled softly, the weapon in his hand grew five times its normal size, and the spiritual pressure coming from it was off the scales. The area around them quaked, fire blazed all around them, and he could clearly see and hear the images of a phoenix and dragon roaring for him to release them.

It was beyond anything he'd felt, it matched Gramp's spiritual pressure and any Espada he'd come across. Kenpachi had nothing on his dad. Hell, no wonder he leaked spiritual pressure like a sieve. Yet his father was able to easily keep all of his power in check. He now knew the identity of the mysterious shinigami who had easily handled the battle down on Earth during the Aizen/Arrancar war.

Ichigo's eyes widened and his mouth gaped open in awe. "You…you…had…this…much power…and…and…Mom…"

"Yeah, kid. All of the power in the heavens and I couldn't save her. Hollows were constantly targeting you and I had to put an end to that once and for all. After meeting with my ally in Hueco Mundo I returned from to find the town under Hollow attack, but I was too late…Grand Fisher had already made his move…" Isshin answered bitterly.

"Allie?"

"Neliel Tu Oderschvank, the third rank Espada."

"Nel…" Ichigo's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "My Nel…"

Isshin smirked, eyes dancing with amusement. "Your Nel, huh. Well, son, that's quite the harem you've got going."

Ichigo's face flushed crimson, his eyes blazing with temper. "I don't treat my friends, female or otherwise, like trophies!!"

"Son, it's inevitable. One of these days you will have to choose and someone is gonna get hurt. That's unless Dad decrees that you marry a noble then, at least in that case, you're in love with Rukia, and have already soul bonded. That'll make it easier on the two of you."

"I'm only sixteen, still in school, and nowhere near ready for any of that yet." Ichigo gritted his teeth his face now beet red.

"To get married, yeah, but betrothed no…"

"MY CHOICE TO MAKE WHEN I WANNA MAKE IT AND NOT BEFORE!" His Hollow mask now covered half his face.

"Son, the only reason that I got out of it was because my intended was my best friend. We loved each other, yes, but not enough to marry like our fathers wished us too. Now in your case it's a different matter altogether. You love and have soul bonded with your best friend and that Kiddo is something that happens once in a lifetime." Isshin calmly continued to explain, all the while observing his son's struggle to except what he was saying. The mask was now nearly complete.

"Dad! It's complicated alright! Renji has feelings for Rukia, so does Uryū! I won't deny that I have feelings for her, that those feelings are so strong that they terrify me at times, but it's beyond complicated!!" Ichigo's frustrated snarl blended with that of a very amused Hichigo, seeing as the mask was now complete.

"Son, you should know by now that life is complicated, but then that's what makes life so interesting. Yours more often than most because of who you are and your beliefs about how everyone should be treated." Isshin was beyond impressed at how much control his son had over his darker side.

"_Ichigo, you wouldn't know how to handle a Babe if they handed you step by step instructions!" _Hichigo hooted with laughter.

Ichigo was mortified that his control had slipped like this and reached up to tear the mask off in sheer disgust. "Stay out of it! Who asked you for your opinion anyway?!"

"_You're getting all broody again…!"_

"Yeah, well, tough shit! I'm having a serious conversation for the first time ever with my dad!"

"_Zangetsu hates even a drizzle and it's cloudy here…!"_

"Zangetsu ordered me to talk with my dad, so he'll have to deal until I get my feelings back under control again! Now shut the hell up and let me handle this on my own!"

"_Yeah, right, like that's even possible! You're acting like a complete wuss about actually having to choose, let alone kiss one of the Babes! You would go for Rukia, even though Inoue clearly has the better set of…"_

"Enough! God! It must be you that Kon channels when he takes my place! There is more to a female besides their breasts and killer body!" Under Hichigo's extreme protest Ichigo ripped off the mask.

"_BUT IT'S THE BEST PART! WHO CARES IF THEY'RE BRAINY OR DITZY WHEN THEY'VE GOT OUT OF THIS WORLD…!"_

"THIS CHAT IS OVER!!" Ichigo roared in frustration as the pieces of bone crumbled away.

"So, not only is he your more hell raiser side, but also a womanizer as well?" Isshin was targeting rock formations with his glaive, but easily eavesdropping on his son's inner battle with his Hollow side. "Does he do this often or only when your defenses are down?" He arched a curious brow at his flustered first born.

"Not nearly as much as…" Ichigo watched pensively as his father made short work slicing, freezing, flaming, electrifying, and exploding the various rock formations nearby. His temper rose as Isshin's words set in and hurting his father came to mind. "You eavesdropped in my head!?"

"Now, son, it's hard not to when you're projecting so loudly and…"

"STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY MIND, DAD!" He advanced on his father with murder blazing in his eyes.

"You can't blame me for getting curious with your voice changing and then you snarling at yourself!" Isshin called back his glaive, instead of drawing his sword.

"YOU WERE SPYING ON ME AGAIN!!" Ichigo let loose on him.

"Spying?! No…no…uh, think of it as making sure that you didn't get dead. I didn't ask Kisuke for another gigai until Shinji showed up." Isshin drew his sword, even though Tenmou easily protected him from most of his son's attacks. "I couldn't stand by and watch, not with Aizen finally playing out his hand. Dad needed all hands on deck. His army was beyond challenged, even you and your soldiers-at arms were in over your heads. Not that it slowed you down any. No one ever messes with those you see as under your protection and lives to tell about it. No matter what the cost it does on your own body!" He easily parried all of his son's attacks, but the kid was a force unto himself.

Tenmou hovered above him at the ready and his sword was roaring for him to release it.

"I'd wake up patched up in bed either at home or at Kisuke's. So that was you and not just Tessai?" Ichigo could feel the leashed power every time their blades clashed. He was dying to see its release, well, that and it floored him that his father had cared that much about him. "So Karin is more Quincy and Yuzu is just in extreme denial?"

"Karin and Yuzu aren't a part of any of this!" Isshin was the one with the short fuse now and his eyes showed it. "And yeah, son, that was me."

"Dad, thanks to Don Kanonji, the two of them have already joined the fight. You had to have realized that it was them on his show or are you really that clueless after all. Karin is well aware of my being a Soul Reaper. Yuzu not so much, but Karin has her eyes wide open." Ichigo grinned, it was about time that circumstances were reversed.

"I'LL SUE HIS ASS FOR EXPLOITING MY KIDS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!!"

"Sue!" Ichigo nearly collapsed on the ground with laughter. "That guy is as sneaky as they come, but it's clear that they wanted to be one of the Karakura Superheroes. Karin fought Jinta over being Karakura Red and Yuzu was perfectly fine with being Karakura Yellow. The only one there under extreme protest was Kon, seeing as they used him as their final attack."

"I ought ta send his ass to the spirit world for nearly getting all of my kids killed by involving you all in that farce that he calls a television show!" Isshin glowered down at his son.

"Yeah, right! You're like his biggest fan!"

"Karin and Yuzu like the show! I thought he was harmless, just smoke and mirrors. I was certain of it, until that night when you had to save his worthless ass. It was then that I realized just how much of an idiot he was playing a deadly game of Russian roulette, all the while creating more trouble than not." Isshin grumbled in his defense.

"Uh-huh, just keep telling yourself that, Dad. I was there. I was watched you make a fool of yourself just like all the others."

"Karakura Town is a magnet for spiritually gifted individuals…" Isshin gritted his teeth when Ichigo rolled his eyes at him.

"Save it, Dad. I'm not Yuzu, who believes that anything you tell her is the truth."

"It is the truth and why Hollows are attracted to it!"

"No! The truth is that you made a choice to leave the Soul Society and it had some major baggage that came along with it!"

"Ichigo, you are old enough and have been through enough in the past year to understand why I chose your mother and ditched the Soul Society and its arsine government. Central 46 had supreme authority over the government and by no means served the ruling class. They were judge, jury, and executioner. Anyone's rank or title was all just for show, while Central 46 ruled over everyone with an iron fist. I was Captain of the Royal Special Task Force, until they deemed that a visible High King was needed to calm everyone. By that time I'd had a taste of what freedom was truly like." Isshin paced in front of him.

"Aristocratic societies suck, I get that. I don't blame you for faking your death and getting the hell out there. Hell, I wouldn't be here right now and you deserved some happiness too…Mom gave you that and I guess the three of us as well." Ichigo nodded in understanding. "Gramps has major mental issues and needs to learn how to bend a little when it comes to the rules. He's such a bastard sometimes... Has he always been so…"

"Tight lipped, strict as hell?" Isshin sighed deeply. "Yeah, pretty much since Mom and my baby sisters were killed, along with half the main population of the Soul Society, during an all out attack that ended three thousand years of peace. We had grown complacent and had virtually no defense against the Hollows. I was around sixteen, Amagai was ten. During those times only direct decedents of the Royal line were taught how to fight in battle. I was a hell raiser always raring for a fight. I'd studied the ancient arts since I could walk. Getsu, my grandfather, was my teacher. He was so wise, knew all about spiritual pressure, Kidō, all of it." Isshin sheathed his sword so that he could lounge comfortably on a flat rock across from his son.

"Getsu?" Ichigo looked down at the sword in his hands then over at his father. _Nah. It couldn't be._

"Zangetsu does sound close doesn't it, son." Isshin pulled an apple from his robe pocket, polished it against the material of his robes, and then took a healthy bite out of it. "Ya know it could be possible, seeing as you're my kid and all that." He chewed thoughtfully.

"Well, he does kinda look like a middle aged, skinnier version of you, but what are the odds." Ichigo shrugged.

"Your darker half mentioned Zangetsu hating the rain to you and it just so happens that Grandfather wasn't all that fond of it either. You see, rain in the Soul Society signals weeks of cold dreary nonstop rain."

"That's coincidence, dad. I mean, yeah, Zangetsu did want me to talk with you, but…"

"If he is my Gramps then you're the luckiest kid in world to have been given him as your zanpakutō's spirit. Yeah, he can be tough as nails at times, but he's as wise as they come. His healing ability was his greatest asset in a fight. It's where I got my skill for healing from. You should count yourself lucky that he chose you. Others have to climb mountains, explore live volcanoes, delve into oceans, or brave the frozen north to gain the name of their soul cutters sleeping spirit."

"I had to dive into water… I think it was water, you see he resides in this weird city like domain. It has skyscrapers and most of the time the whole place is on its side. I'm usually sitting on the side of a building while he's perched on a steel flagpole." Ichigo put his sword away to sit cross-legged in front of his father.

Isshin arched a brow at him signaling him to continue.

"The first time I met him I couldn't fly or whatever so I ended up falling into water where all these boxes were all around me. The whole mirror world was dissolving around me and I had to find him by choosing the box that held my spirit ribbon. I was so freaked out that I completely blanked out him telling me his name. It wasn't until I almost died fighting Kenpachi that I earned his name."

"Go on, son, this is stuff I wanna know about you."

"I was sliced clean open and it was Zangetsu that was preventing me from bleeding to death. He asked me if I wanted to give up or continue the fight on in my quest to save Rukia. I was damned if I was gonna give up and so I ended up in the mirror world again. It's my first meeting with Hichigo…That's what Inoue calls him, since he's my Hollow side." He frowned in remembrance of the ass whooping that he'd received from his inner pain. "I nearly got my ass handed to me by him and received one hell of a lecture from Zangetsu until I got it into my head that I was the student and he was my master. Hichigo calls me king and he's the horse."

Isshin listened intently. This was more than he'd hoped he would get from him, at least during their first father son talk. It felt good knowing that Ichigo still trusted him enough to confide in him.

"I know that Hichigo is a part of me. Uryū calls him my id or something like that…"

"I see," Isshin thoughtfully scratched his chin taking all that his son was saying in, then asked. "Does 'the horse' ever gain control?"

"Dad…" Ichigo leaned forward narrowing his eyes. "I'm not a mental case, so stop trying to psycho analyze me."

"It's a simple question." Isshin arched a brow. "Does he or doesn't he."

"Once or maybe a handful of times during major battles…" Ichigo muttered under his breath.

"Son, it doesn't hurt to tell me about it. I know that you're in control now and talking about what you've gone through is good for you."

"Fine. He took control when I was fighting Rukia's tight ass big brother Byakuya. I didn't have anything left in me; my body was shutting down…"

"So he comes out as a kind of last line of defense."

"Yeah, but that doesn't happen anymore. I've got full control over him now."

"Son, you've never known when to surrender and have always thrived on the challenge of winning any battle that you wage. Amagai damn near flame broiled your ass, but you seem to feed off of everyone's energy in battle. Instead of weakening, you get stronger." Isshin explained.

"Gramps sure took his own sweet time watching, while Uncle Amagai toasted me like a marshmallow. Hell, I thought he was sleeping, seeing as he has his eyes closed all the time." Ichigo grumbled darkly.

"Dad's silent but deadly. Besides, your Hollowfication and knowledge of Bankai completely floored him." Isshin tossed the apple core over his shoulder.

"I haven't been hiding either skill from anyone. He's never there when I use it." He rolled his eyes. "Usually some big bad is attacking the Sereitei and he's busy elsewhere or he just sends everyone else to deal with the current mess and sits back to watch."

"Son, he's beyond proud of you and all that you've achieved in the one short year that you've been a shinigami. He wanted to skewer Kisuke for risking your life, but I explained the circumstances." Isshin grinned wickedly. "Now he's steamed at Byakuya for nearly ending you last year. Evidently, he failed to mention that in his report on the whole incident. Shinji and his crew are also off the hook for obvious reasons, though it'll take centuries before that rift between them is sealed."

"My choice. It was mine and no one else's. Though Byakuya getting reamed now that's a bonus. Shinji and the others have every right to hold a grudge and it'll take a hell of a lot more than a full pardon to make it right with them."

----------------------------------------------------

"No, but then Aizen had them all under his trance." Isshin got up and stretched out the kinks in his shoulders. "Break times over, but it was a good talk. We'll have to make it a thing between us to talk things out more often."

Ichigo, sensing a change in his dad, also got up to his feet. "Yeah, it wasn't bad at all and it helped a lot."

"That's what I'm here for." Isshin drew his sword and growled softly. "Rise from the ashes Amatsu-Kasai Ryuujin."

The ground quaked beneath their feet, geysers of fire spewed from the ground forming a fiery curtain around them. The shadows of the two mystical beasts that he had seen before were now even clearer to his eyes and part of the fire around them. The spiritual pressure was so intense that Ichigo almost fell to his knees, and just when he thought he wasn't gonna be able to stand the zanpakuto split into two weapons. A gauntlet that looked as if it was made of dragon hide on one of his hands and a fiery chain whip in his other.

Ichigo could only stare at him in awe, but managed to keep his mouth from gaping open. He knew the answer, but asked anyway. "Dad, uh, what's the whip and gauntlet for?"

"Bankai." Isshin was now engulfed in flames, his robes transforming into armor and chainmail. The ginormous mystical beasts were now in solid form and towered protectively on either side of him in all their fiery glory.

"Does the fledgling warrant a lesson?" The dragon's voice boomed, smoke flared from his massive snout, as he narrowed blazing emerald green eyes down at Ichigo.

"He must. Though, I would rather feast on Hollows." The phoenix stretched out its massive fiery wings.

"No. I just thought I'd let you both out for a while." Isshin reached out his gloved hand to stroke her wing.

"They eat Hollows?" Ichigo eyed the two warily.

"Yeah, they feast on a Hollows spiritual pressure. Ama's only trying to intimidate you, because she smells Hichigo inside you. I can ride Ryu if I need to and believe you me that comes quite in handy during a battle. The two are forces unto themselves in battle." He patted Ryu's neck.

"Where…I mean…how…" Ichigo was dumbfounded.

"I had to go on two spiritual quests to earn their names. Each was life altering, seeing as my quest led to two active volcanoes…"

"Volcanoes?"

"Yes, young one. Do pay attention."

"Now Ryu, he's had a shock…"

"Perhaps, but then it's not very difficult to comprehend for he also is holding a soul cutter. He too has unlimited potential, so seeing us should not overwhelm his young mind." Ryu's growled response seemed to echo around them for miles.

"Sentient spirits have to be awakened and permission must be earned." Ama explained soothingly.

"Huh…"

"Look boy. You act as if similar events didn't happen to earn your own soul cutter's name." Ryu lay down so that he could be at eye level with the young one.

"Zangetsu is…" Ichigo flinched from the heat steaming from Ryu's nostrils, but being this close to him wasn't scorching his skin.

"Enough!" Zangetsu appeared in front of his charge not at all amused.

"Lord Getsu!" The two creatures bowed before him.

"Ichigo is my wielder, my student, and also my great-grandson. He is an intelligent tactician in battle, and has a resolve that seems at times infinite. He's rash, yes, hotheaded the majority of the time, but his soul even after all that he has seen and been through remains untarnished. His love for those he sees as his is unending and he will stop at nothing to protect those he cares for. He rarely sees situations through rose colored glasses and will fight for the innocents no matter if they be spirit or living. His loyalty to his friends and family has no bound. Ichigo never gives up on anything he sets his mind to and that combined with his resolve makes him virtually impossible to defeat in battle. The key to all of it, however, is his natural ability to grow stronger during any battle by drawing on the energy of his opponent. It's all a key factor in how he's able to heal himself so quickly and catch his second wind. This young man is the savior of the Soul Society and without him all would be lost."

Ichigo had never heard his guardian speak so highly of him and he was humbled by his praise. "Uh, thanks grandfather."

"Isshin, you cannot hide from who and what you are." Zangetsu frowned at him.

Isshin flinched under his scrutinizing gaze. "Yeah, well, it seemed like the only solution and I wasn't about to give up my soul mate just to make my old man happy. Dad and I had very different views on things. Masaki was my life; everything else meant nothing to me. She breathed life back into me. After centuries of being a rebel, I finally had a purpose not just a hell on wheels attitude. The Soul Society was stifling and she was like breathing in the purest air. She wasn't afraid of anything and used her natural abilities to heal, rather than harm others. I'd buried that part of me long ago. It failed me one too many times, that and dad saw it as a weakness. Power and how to wield it in battle was far more important than healing the wounded, no that was for the weaker of our kind."

"Yeah, well, a lot gramps knows. Hanatarō has helped me through a lot. Yeah, he's not the bravest shinigami, but he's loyal, and a good friend." Ichigo was beginning to dislike his grandfather more and more. "He needs to get over his grudge against the whole universe. If I can accept that mom dying wasn't my fault, that she protected me out of love. Love so strong that there are times when I'm in it over my head she's there to snap me out of it and I know that I can win. Anger just eats you alive inside…nothing good can come from it."

"Well done, Ichigo. But don't rush to judge those who have lived through thousands of years of trials, tragedies, and triumphs. Shi has seen more than you could ever imagine in your short span of life. Experiences twist one inside until there's nothing left but bitterness and determination that the Soul Society will not fall ever again to…" Zangetsu lectured.

"They are their own disaster in the making and never own up to their own mistakes! No! Instead they lay the blame on others! Aizen! That nut Captain Mad scientist guy who wants to dissect Uryū! Kenpachi the psychopath… Do I go on, cuz I can! Gramps is the cause of his own problems! His iron fist rule over all that he surveys creates more trouble than it protects! His you break the rules you die attitude sucks! Hell, he would have gladly killed mom himself, but then Dad faked his own death. Boy that must have really steamed the old fart…!" Ichigo glared defiantly at all of them.

"Ichigo, that's enough…" Isshin warned.

"No! Dad! I won't change my mind about him! I've seen too much with my own eyes for anyone to convince me otherwise! Uncle Amagai went insane because of him, well, that and you deserted him…Innocents suffered because of it all! Rurichiyo and Rukia and countless others could have died, people suffered because of him! I put my ass on the line to clean up his mess! And the thing that really pisses me off is that he doesn't even know the word thank you!" Ichigo was seething mad.

------------------------------------------------------

"Never gonna happen. He'd keel over dead before lowering himself down to that level." Renji snorted sarcastically.

"Renji!" Rukia hissed then glared at Ichigo. "Is the tantrum finished yet?"

"Lay off, Rukia." Ichigo growled.

"No! Captain-Commander Yamamoto is a great man! Yes, he's made his mistakes, but then all of us have!" Rukia stalked over to him and started poking him in the chest. "He's your grandfather and deserves your respect!"

"Rukia, I've got a right to be a little steamed at him…"

"Being angry with him because of what happened with Captain Amagai is one thing, but putting the blame on him for everything bad that happens is just wrong." Rukia turned her back on him sighing heavily. "You are better than that, Ichigo. Why can't you use that incredible ability that you have to see the good in people to see the good in him?"

"I don't know, Rukia." Ichigo felt lower than low.

"If he really was the tyrant that you think he is then you, your sisters, father, and friends would all be permanent residents of the Soul Society right now." She turned around to give him a solemn look.

"What do you mean by that, Rukia? Dad and I are in gigai's but the rest of them are all living." Ichigo's troubled golden eyes met serious blue eyes.

"Anyone with spiritual pressure and the ability to use it is usually recruited and taken back to the Soul Society whether they wish it or not. That you are still able to reside in this world is all the proof that I need that he still has goodness inside of him."

"I'll try and give him a chance, but I'm not gonna make any promises…" Ichigo sighed, resigned to his fate. "I'm just having a crappy week…so give me a break okay."

Rukia gave into the urge to comfort him and gave him hug. "Next time come find me and we'll work it out together…"

Ichigo awkwardly put his arms around her and hugged her back. "Sorry about that…I didn't mean to make you worry about me…"

"I care about you, you idiot!" Rukia who rarely cried or showed any emotions had tears shining in her eyes.

Ichigo found that he couldn't take seeing tears in her eyes and hearing her admit her feelings about him was making him feel emotions that were completely new and so strong towards her that he was dumbfounded. "Rukia…I…I…"

Rukia stared up into his eyes revealing her true feelings about him. What she saw in his own eyes was enough to see that he felt the same way about her. Sure, he was shocked to his core, but then that was a good thing. "You don't have to say anything just now. I know… Just hold me for a while…" She laid her head against his chest. "You scared the life out of me and I just need to hear your heart beating under my ear for a while."

"Yeah, okay I can do that." Ichigo held her close. It felt right having her in his arms and if this caused any rifts with the others, well, they would find a way to work it out.

Renji was shocked speechless by her actions. He loved her, but had accepted long ago that she only cared for him like a brother. He'd never seen her express her feelings like this for as long as he'd known her. Ichigo was like a kid brother to him and it was clear as day that he had feelings for her too. In the long run he was happy for the two of them, but it was surreal to see it happening before his very eyes.

Isshin was grinning from ear to ear and had both his girls in his arms.

Zangetsu was smirking.

Chad had seen the signs so this didn't surprise him.

Uryū was so awed by Isshin's guardians that he wasn't even noticing what was going on between the two of them.

Inoue bit down on her lower lip, as she watched the touching scene taking place before her eyes. He had never looked at her like that and although it hurt to watch, it was clear that the two of them were a match. They were two of her best friends and she would be happy for them.

Jinta was making gagging noises and Tessai boxed him in the ears.

Ururu was just happy that the fighting was over and that Rukia chose to hug him instead of deck him.

Yoruichi was amused and Kisuke seemed pleased with this turn of events.

Kon was bawling his eyes out.

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Next

Chapter three

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	3. Chapter 3

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Three

By Cindra

A/N: Thanks Yemi for pointing out my little goof…it's all fixed now. The thing is when you are dealing with all of these characters little details like age get mixed up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

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Sereitei

Imperial Sky Palace

Captain Retsu Unohana listened with a sympathetic ear as her close friend of ten years poured out her frustrations over tea on the veranda overlooking the breathtaking Imperial Gardens. "He's going to be fine, even the strongest of us fall apart when faced with the emotional and mental upheaval that he's undergone this past week. Shin's finally…"

"Isshin made a mess of it all. He closed himself off from Ichigo and let him handle everything on his own. He needed a father figure, not a rough-houser insensitive moron."

"He was hurting over losing you. Ichigo closed himself off from his father…" Retsu quietly set down her teacup and reached out to touch her friend's hand.

Masaki Ishida Kurosaki threw her arms up in the air in frustration, causing her opulent imperial garb to shimmer with her every movement. "He tried to bond with the girls, but left our son to fester in his own sorrow and guilt over failing me! The girls are the only ones that came out unscathed. Ichigo…"

"Ichigo rivals his father's legendary feats. Yes, he's rash and impulsive, but he has such a pure soul. Even though he possesses a Hollow inside him, his resolve to fight for and protect the innocent is unparalleled. His capacity to love and protect his family and those he sees as friends is unending. Those are just some of the qualities that he inherited from you, Masaki." Retsu gave her some insight on what she had witnessed during this past year.

"Yes, yes, I know that he's becoming an amazing young man. My gilded cage provides me with a lovely viewing pool in the Imperial Gardens. My Quincy and duly earned Shinigami abilities, along with my mastery of Kidō, allow me to watch over all of them or give guidance when it's needed." Masaki was far from her usual calm serene self, so her tone was snappish and irritable. "I'm sorry Ret, but they need me and I'm trapped here…"

"Masaki, I know that it's been difficult, but you aren't a commoner. Shin is still the 'High King' and you being his bride are his Queen. Commander-General Yamamoto will not risk having…"

"Something tragic happening to another female member of his family…" Masaki sighed mournfully. "Drat. I should have listened to Kirio and changed my whole name instead of just my surname. I went through the academy in record time; so that I could protect my family, and Yama arrives the day of graduation ruining it all…We were so careful too."

"I've always wondered about that too. Jushiro is as trustworthy as they come, but Shunsui tends to drink far too much and is loose tongued when intoxicated." Retsu frowned.

Royal Guard Captain Kirio Hikifune and Captain Amagai joined the two of them. The statuesque amazon beauty was far from happy with Amagai's arrival at the palace. Her shocking green eyes blazed with barely leashed temper. "Look what I found attempting to bribe his way through the palace gates."

"Your amazons are lethal. All I was trying to do was pay a friendly visit to my lovely sister-in-law. Ichigo is awake and on the mend, now that he and big brother have finally called a truce. Soifon came back minus the kid. Let's just say that Dad was far from pleased. Although, that tight ass git Byakuya is drowning himself with sake, now that the news is out that Ichigo ranks higher than he does in royal society. I love it that no one wants to volunteer to go bring Ichigo back here for a one-on-one with Dad. The kid has quite the group of loyal followers and has earned the respect of nearly everyone in the Soul Society." Amagai sat down on one of the silk cushions and then reached up to tug Kirio down onto the empty cushion beside him.

"Captain, you will behave yourself or find yourself tossed off the Imperial Palace grounds." Kirio was far from pleased with her former betrothed's back from the dead reappearance or his actions as of late.

"Kiri, Is he the one?" Masaki arched a delicate red-gold brow at the two of them. "Captain, violence leads to more chaos and miscommunication gets one nowhere. You and Isshin are two of the same all right. However, my Isshin learned to channel his violent ways towards healing and helping others. You on the other hand fed off your quest for vengeance and nearly got my son and the ones under his protection killed for nothing."

"The men in his family all have issues. It's their fatal flaw. They don't talk over their problems like rational intelligent beings and by doing so cause complete and utter chaos in their wake." Kiri glowered at the man beside her.

Amagai winced, as if she'd slapped him, and then held his hands up in surrender. "Kiri that hurt…"

"That was the truth, Captain. Instead of coming to me and talking about Shin's 'Death' you faked your own death, vowed vengeance on your father, and joined up with the assassins' guild..."

"…Hurt everyone that I cared for…I know that I botched it all up and I'm sorry that I hurt you." Amagai eyed her warily.

"Hurt me. You nearly destroyed me when you followed Shin's suicide with your own. Shin's I knew wasn't real, but I saw your body with my own eyes. Felt your blood on my own hands and pulled the blade out of you myself…" Kiri got up to stare out at the Imperial Gardens.

"Kiri…" Amagai stunned by her admission was lost for words.

"Save it, Koji. I lost nearly all of those that I cared about in one day. I didn't want anything to do with anyone. My loyalty was to the royal family. I kept them all safe by secretly working with Kisuke. Shin was too absorbed with his new family and had lost his edge. Like Yoruichi, I can also transform myself into a feline. So it was easy for me to blend in." Kiri reminisced bitterly.

"Ichigo had a cat when he was little." Masaki said softly. "He used to swear to Isshin and I that she talked to him or that she protected him from bad monsters. He called her Rio."

"He couldn't wrap his tongue around Kirio, so he settled on Rio." Kiri smiled sadly.

"Oh Kiri, that was you!" Masaki jumped up to her feet and raced over to hug her. "You brought him such joy and security. He loved you so much that he took you everywhere, even to nursery school in his backpack."

"I preferred his shoulders, but he had to smuggle me into school to prove to Tatsuki that I was a magical cat." Kiri recalled how hard he had tried to get her to talk. He'd been so furious with her that he had banned her from accompanying him to his karate class and it had all gone so tragically wrong. "I should have…talked to her…" Kiri blinked back her tears.

"Oh Kiri, don't…" Masaki hugged her fiercely. "You couldn't have known what was to come."

"I should have followed you both. I got too attached to him…" Kiri shook her head ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"He was adorable and so loveable that all of us, who knew the truth, got caught off guard that day." Retsu put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Masaki gave her life to protect him, but Grand Fisher was still very much alive. You arrived in time to save Ichigo by wounding Grand Fisher enough to send him back into hiding; you preformed konsō on Masaki, and then took Ichigo somewhere safe until it was safe for him to come back to the mortal plain…"

"He wasn't there anymore. The innocent part of him died that day. He didn't trust me after that. He made me promise to keep you safe and I have kept my promise."

"Well, from what I've seen and experienced, the kid came out all right. What happened didn't destroy him; it made him stronger and capable of surviving and overcoming any situation that he comes across. The kid's brilliant and shows limitless potential. That Inner-Hollow of his makes him a wildcard; it amazes me that he has such a mastery over him." Amagai winced as he pushed himself back to his feet. He was still recovering from his one-on-one with his nephew.

"He should have cut your arm off, given you a reminder to never tread down that path again." Kiri narrowed her eyes at him when he stepped towards them.

"I was a bastard for hurting you the way I did. I wasn't capable of rational thought or feeling anything but hate. It drove me to break off all ties with my former life. I completely changed my identity Koji Yamamoto-Genryūsai was dead. Something died in me when I saw Shin's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. Father and Central 46 caused it all to happen. They spun a bunch of bullshit about High King Shin'ichi being in an inaccessible dimension somewhere in the Soul Society. It was like they didn't give a damn about what they had done…" Amagai grumbled bitterly.

"Yama knew everything. He was well aware that Shin had faked his death and honored his son's wishes. I was to tell you everything, because you were prone to making rash and foolish decisions. We were close so he felt that I would be able to reach you..." Kiri turned her back on him, old wounds thought healed long ago ripped open. The pain was so intense that she needed to get as far away from him as possible. "Just go back to your division and leave me the hell alone…Masaki, I will go check on them myself. If he becomes bothersome send for Ami and Tia, the two of them will escort him out of the palace. I can't…I won't go down that road ever again…" She vaulted over the railing, vanishing as soon as she was clear of the veranda.

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Two pairs of eyes narrowed at Amagai, both women folded their arms across their chests.

"She and I are soul mates, her pain is my own. I will make this right again, that I promise you. Much needs to be healed. I came here because I need advice on how to approach my nephew." Amagai's mood had sobered to that of all business. He had a lot to think about and still there was the matter of Ichigo to deal with first.

"Just give him time to adjust to all of this. Pressuring him will only make him even more frustrated than he already is. He's finally building a relationship with his father and I will not allow the General to jeopardize it. Ichigo will come to him when he is ready and not a moment before. If he doesn't like it then he can come take this up with me." Masaki put her foot down.

"Dad feels that he needs order and discipline. His mastery of Bankai, his swordsmanship, and his Hollowfication in one year is impressive. However, his training as a Shinigami is still incomplete." Amagai leaned back against the railing.

"Ichigo hasn't learned how to rein in his spiritual pressure. Until he can achieve some kind of control, attempting the Demon Arts could prove hazardous for him and all those around him." Retsu wasn't pleased with what she was hearing.

"Ret, he learned Bankai in less than three days, so learning Kidō should be nothing to him. It's part of being a Shinigami, so he has to learn it whether he likes it or not." Amagai growled softly.

"Ichigo just turned sixteen. He has school to focus on. There will be more than enough time for him to focus on his training, but for now he needs a stable normal life. He needs to spend time with friends and be a teenager. The Soul Society is just going to have to find some other way to clean up their messes." Masaki was not going to budge from her stance.

"Masaki, he's seen and experienced far too much to just return to his normal routine. He isn't a normal teenager, no matter how much you want him to be. Not knowing the Demon Arts keeps him at a disadvantage in battle. The kid is a magnet for trouble, because of his inability to rein in his spiritual pressure. He needs all the arsenal that he can get. Besides, from what I've seen of him he thrives on being a shinigami. Normal life would just be mundane for him. Ichigo loves to help others and that's rare in anyone. We just need to give him the tools to help him keep others safe." Amagai tried to reason with her.

"Ichigo can continue his training, but only after school hours, and that isn't open to discussion. His father has been far too lenient about his schooling and that is as important as his training. "There is far more to him than just his shinigami heritage, as he is mine then so is he of Quincy blood. Therefore, he should explore that side of him as well." Masaki stated flatly.

"Amagai, inform Yamamoto that those are her terms. Queen Masaki isn't going to stand in the shadows any longer. Ichigo is her son and she's going to have a say on any decisions regarding him. Shin and Kisuke will oversee his training and he will just have to live with it." Retsu backed up her friend.

"Now I see why Shin gave it all up for you." Amagai smiled warmly at her then gave her a sweeping bow. "I can assure her majesty that her wishes will be carried out in full. If her majesty wishes, I can give a hand in his training. It would be my honor to do so. I would like to get to know my nephew, nieces, and big brother again."

"Stay for a while longer and catch me up on what Isshin was like as a boy." Masaki motioned for him to take his seat again.

"I'd like that." Amagai sat back down to reminisce about the happier times.

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Karakura High School

"Renji, did Ochi just try and slip you her phone number?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes at him.

"Not only that, but she tried to grab my ass." Renji growled. "What's with her anyway?"

"Ochi has her moods, but then again it did get all of us out of having to go to cram school." Ichigo shrugged.

"We have been missing a great deal of school, so it's not surprising that we would be enrolled in one." Uryu frowned, adjusting his glasses. "Although, the five of us are still at the top of our class, so cram school really isn't necessary."

"Yeah, I know." Chad nodded. "Though school is a nice change..."

"I think it's sweet that Ms. Misato likes Renji. Don't you, Rukia?" Orihime smiled.

"Renji, the last thing that we need is to have Ms. Misato panting after you." Rukia was far from pleased. "From now on you will just have to find something to amuse yourself away from school grounds. I'm sure that there's plenty for you to do at the clinic. After all, Ichigo's father is housing you the least that you could do is pitch in and help when needed."

Renji flushed at her tone. "Geez, Rukia! I'm only here because his dad asked me to remind Ichigo that he's expected at Urahara's this afternoon! And I do try and help around the clinic!"

"Don't start this again." Ichigo rolled his eyes at her in exasperation. "Dad offered Renji a place to crash and Karin and Yuzu say that he's been a big help around the clinic."

"She's just sore because your dad found out that she was sleeping in your closet and now she has to bunk with your sisters." Renji teased. "Now that she's gone all soft she wants alone time with you."

"Cut it out, Renji." Ichigo growled a warning.

"Renji, believe me when I say that the rest of us are perfectly fine with the two of them keeping what's happening between them to themselves." Uryu tried to mediate.

"Rukia and Ichigo are two of our closest friends, so all of us are very happy for them." Orhime chimed in with what she hoped was a believable smile.

"Yeah, the two of them are good for each other." Chad reluctantly added his bit with a shrug.

Ichigo and Rukia, both red faced, wisely decided to say nothing and kept walking.

"I'm happy for them to, even if the two of them are being pathetic about facing how they feel." Renji smirked.

Ichigo turned on his heel, glaring, murderously at him. "I said cool it, Renji! Hadou #31 Shakkahou!" He shot the attack at Renji's feet. "Rukia and me are fine! So drop it or big brother figure or not I'll use Byakurai next and electrocute your sorry ass!"

"Ichigo! You did it without voicing the entire incantation!" Rukia exclaimed excitedly.

Renji howled in pain as he hopped up and down on one foot. "It's the truth and this proves that he's as floored by it as she is!"

"Lt. Abarai, Lady Rukia. Does the prince have a problem?" Kiri stepped from the shadows.

"Captain Hikifune!?" The two of them both stood at attention and all thought of the previous conversation flew from their minds.

"No, uh, Captain. I was just ribbing him about…" Renji racked his brain for a suitable answer to tell the Captain of the Royal Guard. "You see…it's just that Rukia and Ichigo are…"

"We're best friends for now and are in no hurry to jeopardize that by rushing into anything serious." Rukia finally spoke up before asking a question of her own. "Is he…or has my mind been playing tricks on me all this time? Big brother says that he isn't, but…"

"Yes, Lady Rukia. He is the little charge that I entrusted with you to watch over ten years ago. I am here on his mother's behalf. The Queen is concerned about her son's actions as of late. Now as Captain of the Royal Guard and as one of her closest friends and confidants I came to see if her concerns were warranted or not. The bandage on his arm tells me that they are." Kiri pointed at Ichigo's injury.

"I know you…" Ichigo stared intently at the new Captain trying to remember how he knew her. Her eyes and voice were familiar to him.

Kiri merely stared back at him waiting for her words to sink in.

"Hey, wait a second did you say my Mom…she's Queen of the Soul Society?" He gaped at her, not believing his ears.

"Ichigo, your dad is still the 'High King'. Therefore, logically your mother, my aunt, would be his Queen." Uryu tried to explain what was what to him.

"Yeah, but Rukia said that it was impossible for me to find her…"

"Queen Masaki resides in the Imperial Sky Palace, which is inaccessible to virtually anyone in the Sereitei. It would have been impossible for Rukia or Renji to know of her whereabouts." Kiri tried to help him understand.

"Sky Palace?" Ichigo frowned.

"It's a palace in the sky." Kiri nodded. "You were also under the assumption, as was Rukia, that Grand Fisher completely absorbed her soul. Grand Fisher managed to absorb a sliver of her essence, but only that. I saved her soul by performing konsō and then brought the two of you both back with me to the Soul Society. I was able to do so because, even at five, your spiritual pressure was that of legend, thus allowing me to take you through the Senkai gate. I kept you there until it was safe for you to return to the living plain. Ichigo, it's me Rio. I kept my promise." She watched his eyes, as her words triggered hidden memories in his mind.

"My cat…Rio was my cat…my magical talking cat…" Ichigo raked his fingers through his hair as the memories continued to flash before his eyes. "I forgot…How could I ever have forgotten about you…?"

"I modified your memory. You were so lost, angry, and confused. You had gone through a heartbreaking traumatic ordeal and needed stability in order to begin the healing process." Kiri said softly.

Renji's eyes flared at Ichigo. "Wait just a God Damned minute! Are you saying that Ichigo's the little brat that Rukia was charged with looking after!?"

"Ichigo was a little boy that had just watched his mother brutally murdered in front of his eyes, Lieutenant. He was five-years-old. His world had just crashed around him and then was taken to a strange place where everything was foreign to him. He was furious with me, so of course he was volatile towards anyone garbed as I was." Kiri narrowed her eyes at Renji. "You surprise me, Lieutenant. I had no idea that Captain Byakuya's choice in lieutenant was such a whiner. I know him well and he would never tolerate such a person as his lieutenant."

Renji's face was the shade of a ripe tomato and everyone around him was snickering with amusement. Everyone that was except for Rukia who was more concerned for what Ichigo was going through.

"So I was drawn to the river because the Senkai Gate opened there…" Ichigo tried to take it all in. "Tatsuki found me there. All I remember was feeling lost and so angry that I couldn't save her. It was because I was so weak and a crybaby…that's what got her killed…"

"Ichigo, none of that was your fault", Rukia touched his arm. "Your mother loved you more than anything in this world and gave her life protecting you. Renji is just being touchy because, even at five, you could still run circles around him, so ignore him."

"Circles around me!? He kicked Captain Byakuya in the balls for blocking off his only exit after we finally got him cornered! Then he bit the hell out of me and Kira after that!" Renji snarled darkly.

"That's enough, Renji!" Rukia snapped.

"No! I'm not gonna shut up, Rukia! He's gonna hear everything!" Renji ignored her glowering look. "Ichigo clung to Rukia like she was his only lifeline. He wouldn't eat or sleep unless she sat with him. Hell, it was only when she left that he turned into a little hellion. Captain Byakuya lost a shit load of priceless family heirlooms because the little demon chose to throw them at us. Nothing worked to calm him down. Nothing that was until Rukia came back, only then did he settle down and behave."

"That's enough, Renji!" Orhime folded her arms in front of her chest glaring murderously at him. "Ichigo was a terrified little boy and had every right to be scared of all of you!"

"Need I add that all of you were dressed in clothing that at least in his eyes wasn't trustworthy?" Uryu once again took on the role of mediator. "Captain Hikifune had arrived too late, his mother died saving him. He'd faced a real boogeyman that had tried to eat him and then was taken away by the Captain to an even more alien environment. It's beyond clear to me that it was this pivotal moment where Ichigo had vowed to himself that he would never allow his fear to make him that vulnerable again. And that Renji was the reason why he fought back and continues to fight today."

"Rukia probably seemed safer to him because of her size." Chad said in his soft tone. It was clear that Ichigo needed all the support that he could get.

"Ichigo was lost and alone and I empathized with that." Rukia sighed heavily.

Ichigo reached out to take her hand in his own.

"You never cried, yet your eyes burned with unshed tears. You didn't as much as whimper when the nightmares plagued you. No instead you would squeeze your eyes shut, grit your teeth, and chant under your breath the words never again. You were nothing like the happy little boy that I'd seen enjoying a spring picnic with his parents and baby sisters."

His soulful amber eyes stared down into caring azure blue ones.

"Not just the park…" Ichigo managed a small smile, as a long lost happy childhood memory returned to him.

"No not just the park…"

"I remember so clearly now…we were all happily enjoying my sisters first time at the beach, and there you were looking so sad. My cure for everything was ice cream. Mom and Dad were busy tending to the twins, but I always had Rio with me. So I wandered over to you with the ultimate cure." Ichigo chuckled. "You stood there all goggle eyed for the longest time because I could see you."

"It startled me that not only could you see me, but you could touch me too." Rukia smiled. "I never did thank you for the treat, even if half of it did end up on my sandals."

"Yeah, I was scared that you'd be mad at me for getting your sandals all sticky. You told me not to worry about it and then finished off what was left of your ice cream. Then something started beeping in your pocket and then in a blink of an eye, you were gone. Boy did I get it for wandering off on my own by Dad. Mom was okay about it though and the two of us went off to look for shells." Ichigo reminisced.

"I was there scouting for potential Hollow activity…"

"Ah-ha! So he was the reason you showed up late, not once but dozens of times during those missions to Karakura Town." Renji grinned wickedly at the two of them. "You had a crush on him even then!"

"Lieutenant Abarai, Rukia was watching over the heir to our world. Jūshirō was aware of the reasons for her late arrivals during Hollow altercations. Her orders were to observe and only assist if necessary." Kiri was far from pleased with Renji's actions. "I would like to believe that three Lieutenants could easily handle any Hollows without the aid of an unseated officer of royal standing."

"Me, Kira, and Momo handled it just fine. Rukia was just there for back up or so I thought anyway." Renji was back on the defensive again, but wasn't about to change tactics. "It all makes sense. Captain Ukitake, knowing damn well that Ichigo was a little Hollow magnet, sent her to look out for the Royal family."

"Ichigo was a happy little boy, lieutenant. Innocent and trusting and was most certainly not a Hollow magnet. His entire family as a whole has a spiritual pressure level that boggles the mind. Shin, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai, and I all did our best to shield them, but our best wasn't enough." Kiri stated coolly.

"I don't blame you for any of it, Rio. You kept your promise to keep mom safe and that's all that matters in my eyes." Ichigo said quietly. "Bad things happen, it sucks, but that's life."

"She tried her damndest to be in a position so that she could watch over you. She knew that the academy was her best shot at doing that and went through the academy in one year. Unbeknownst to either of us was that Yamamoto had other ideas." Kiri paced in front of them.

"Did my gramps do something to mom?" Ichigo was on slow burn again towards his grandfather.

"Ichigo, the Queen resides in a palace. Your mom is the most carefully guarded treasure in the Soul Society." Renji stated flatly. "Yamamoto made her completely untouchable."

"Yamamoto spirited her away for her own safety and well-being. He did however give her a way to watch over all of you by means of a viewing pool in the Imperial Gardens." Kiri reassured him that his grandfather was only ensuring his mother's safety and no ill intentions were meant. "He's as wise as they come and there is little that he doesn't know."

"Does dad know about mom?"

"No. Your attempt on taking your life summoned him back here before Yama could tell him."

"Can mom talk to dad through the viewing pool? Like say through a life size poster of her?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"So that's why he's got those plastered everywhere." Renji frowned. "If she can then she's off the charts power wise. It's rare for any of us to be able to communicate with the living like that."

"Quincy's often have that particular ability and as my aunt was a Quincy her abilities should have transcended with her to the Soul Society. We rely on our minds as well as our weapons in battle." Uryu eyed his watch. "We're nearly an hour late. Uncle Isshin is going to be sending a search party for you soon."

"Aw man, I owe dad one hell of an apology." Ichigo groaned. "Here I thought he was nuts and he really has been whining at mom all this time. Dad will understand why we're late when he sees Rio with us."

"Ichigo, Masaki guided you as well. You merely perceived her being in your mind as a manifestation caused by battle fatigue when your resolve was at an all time low." Kiri felt that he needed to know that Masaki had communicated with him too.

"Well, most of the time my opponent uses my memories of her against me. Though, truth be told, it does feel like she's helping me and it gets me focused enough to win." Ichigo liked knowing that his mom was guiding him and keeping him on the right path.

"Of course she does, Son. Masaki has always been your biggest supporter and that will never change." Isshin had once again quietly observed all of them without any of them sensing he was even there. "Kiri, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He was all smiles. "Masaki sent you here to kick my ass or just to check on the kids?"

"Shin, you never change." Kiri grinned back at him, laughing when he gave her a big bear hug. "Masaki needed reassurance that all was well here and I wanted to see you."

"Koji came to find you didn't he. We'll catch up after I put my kid through his rounds." Isshin could feel that she needed to talk.

"Dad? How? Where the hell? I didn't even…" Ichigo gaped openmouthed at his father's sudden appearance. "Who's Koji?"

"Yeah, son, it's me. I've been here for a while now. You didn't know it because I can cloak my spiritual pressure. Koji is my little brother's given name. Kiri and me go way back. So she was Rio? Now I didn't know about that one. Here I thought that Yoruichi was the only shape changer of our kind. Then again you and she were like sisters, so it makes sense." Isshin easily fielded all of his son's questions as well as focused on Kiri.

"You were too blissfully happy to even clue in to the fact that it was me. I didn't mind though, watching over him was an honor, as well as a pleasure." Kiri left Isshin to focus on Ichigo's friends. "Chad, Orihime, Uryu thank you for keeping that one over there in check. I know that he can be mule headed at times, but he's as loyal as they come. Uryu, Masaki wanted me to tell you that your mother is always watching over you. Yumiko is one of the finest healers in the Rukongai and lives a content life in the first district keeping watch over the orphans that she has taken under her wing."

"Mother loved helping others; it's comforting to know that she has been able to continue to do so. I have often wondered what had become of her spirit, as my grandfather did not fair as well as she did." Uryu felt something lift inside him knowing that his mother was also safe in the Soul Society.

"Mayuri Kurotsuchi is an insane maniac and if I had my way he would be sent back to rot where he came from, but Yama sees differently than I do and uses the psycho to his advantage. I see otherwise and have my spies keep constant watch on him." Kiri stated flatly. "Yumiko is under my protection and has been since she arrived at the Soul Society. Mayuri wouldn't dare cross me. I know how to counter his method of escape."

"Ryuken really needs to hear that then maybe he'll clue me in on what he's teaching my girls." Isshin sulked.

"Ichigo had a long talk with him, which completely changed father's attitude towards carrying on the Quincy heritage and being a part of my life. He sees great potential in his nieces and wants to explore any potential in his nephew. He views Ichigo and me as the two saviors of both our kind. However, he still feels that the two of us should spend more time focusing on school or our futures rather than hunting Hollows, but he also knows that we're honor bound to protect those around us. Sorry Uncle Isshin, but father is still on the fence about you, but is willing to tolerate Shinigami now." Uryu was still getting used to this side of his father.

"Yuzu will get him to come around and Karin is more than enough of a challenge to keep him busy for years." Ichigo shrugged. "I've got school, Drivers Ed, plus my training. I barely have time to eat and sleep. Hanging out with my friends, unless they're all of you guys, is history…"

"Ichigo, if it's too much then just say so." Rukia frowned.

"Nah, it's all good. Drivers Ed is mandatory, as is school. I love being a Soul Reaper. I'll make it up to Keigo and the others one of these times. After all, they know all about our being spirit warriors, so it's not like we're making up that we're busy or anything like that." Ichigo grinned scrubbing at the back of his neck.

"Don Kanonji is their idol. We could get him to come back for a visit…" Orihime suggested.

A chorus of groans echoed around her.

"Well, he's harmless and the boys really, really, love his show." Orihime continued cheerily on with her suggestion.

"We'll think on it, Orihime." Chad sighed.

"Orihime, the man is a complete menace and stops at nothing to exploit his pathetic television show. Case in point his latest scheme involved Karin, Yuzu, Jinta, Ururu, and Kon taking on Hollows just to further his ratings. Keigo and the others know where we're training and Kisuke would most likely allow them to watch if they wanted to, so they'll have to settle with that at least for now anyway. Our training is more important than soothing sore feelings." Uryu absolutely despised the man and had no problem saying so.

As if on cue Renji, Rukia, and Ichigo's Hollow detection devices all started blaring a warning.

Renji took out his phone and scowled down at it before popping a soul candy. "I count more than twenty down by the river."

"Try thirty…" Rukia popped a soul candy in her mouth and swallowed it.

"The river is where father was training Karin and Yuzu today." Uryu locked eyes with Ichigo and Isshin.

"Training will have to wait. Let's go Kiri!" Isshin wasn't waiting on anyone and in a blink of an eye; the two of them were gone.

"Chad, Orihime, Uryu. Meet us there!" Ichigo shouted as he, Rukia, and Renji all took off after Isshin and Kiri.

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Next

Chapter Four

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	4. Chapter 4

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Four

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

-----------------------------------

Ryuken Ishida stoically faced off against the legion of Hollows all the while continuing with teaching his young nieces. "This is one example of why one must be overly diligent when facing enumerable odds. Spiritual pressure when unleashed by highly charged individuals can at times cause an outbreak like this to occur." He shot a volley of arrows up into the sky, easily taking out the first advance.

Karin was able to form her bow and fire nearly a dozen arrows at a time. "Yuzu, stay behind me, all right."

"No! I'm not afraid of those creepy monsters. I can form my bow and fire arrows too." Yuzu valiantly took aim at some of the stragglers.

"Now girls, ones skill comes with time and proper guidance." Ryuken was easily wiping out his adversaries, while keeping a watchful eye on his nieces.

"Why are there so many of them?" Yuzu tried to be brave, but there seemed to be an endless supply of targets.

"Yeah, Uncle Ryuken? It's not like we used bait to lure them here." Karin gritted her teeth in concentration.

"One doesn't necessarily need bait, Karin." Ryuken easily sensed the arrival of Isshin and Captian Kirio. "Slow as always, Kurosaki. Captain Kirio, it has been a long time since I last saw you."

"Ryuken," Kiri had yet to draw her sword; instead she was using her body as a weapon, not unlike Yoruichi and Soifon's 'Flash Cry' means of battle.

"Ryuken, my babies are…are…" Isshin was nearly in tears. "They grow up so fast." He set about decimating any Hollows in his path. "'Rise from the ashes' Amatsu Kasi Ryujin!"

"Watch over your fledglings, Shin." Ama was eager to feast.

"Yes, Shin. Ama and I haven't feasted in an eternity." Ryu roared in anticipation of feasting on menos or perhaps an arrancar or two.

They couldn't help but gaze up at the massive tear in the sky being held open by dozens of Menos hands.

"What the hell is going on now?" Ichigo snarled in disgust. "If this is another big bad, I'm gonna be pissed!"

"Ya don't have another, hell on wheels, Uncle bent on vengeance do ya?" Renji put King Zabimaru to work.

"This seems really strange. The Menos aren't even attempting to step out of the rift." Rukia frowned up at the sky.

"Do we look like we're complaining?! Who cares the reason! Just take them out!" Renji snarled.

"Uncle Ryuken, ya didn't use bait like Uryu did when we first sparred with each other did you?" Ichigo made short work of his wave of opponents.

"Nephew, I am a Quincy Master. I do not resort to baiting Hollow. This is not my doing, nor would I endanger my nieces." Ryuken growled.

"Just asking, so don't get all uppity about it!" Ichigo shot up towards the rift. "Shit! Well, so much for achieving any kind of normalcy or making it to class tomorrow!"

"Ichigo!" Rukia shot after him.

"Aw man! I hate Hueco Mundo! It took weeks to get all the sand out of my robes!" Renji took off after them.

"Ichigo!" Yuzu cried out in fear for her big brother. "Daddy, go get him!"

"We're fine. Go bond or whatever, before he goes and gets all bloody again." Karin glared up at her father.

"I have got this in hand. Now go." Ryuken growled.

"Those aren't Hollow or Menos, the energy is all wrong." Uryu, his bow at the ready, glared up at the Hollow filled sky.

"Well, they look like Hollows and Menos to me." Chad frowned.

"What else could they be?" Orihime casted a shield around them.

"Master Shin, deception is a foot." Amatsu shrank down to a size small enough to perch on Isshin's shoulder.

"Hollow these are not. Fake is what they are." Ryu grumbled darkly, flaming every opponent in his path.

"Yeah, but who the hell would release this many training dummies and why?" Isshin scowled.

"Who would gain from such a grand show of force?" Kiri was just a perplexed as they all were.

"Logically, one would use bait to lure an opponent into a trap." Ryuken arched a brow at Isshin then turned his focus on Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia who were directly in front of the massive tear in the sky.

"Dad would never stoop that low and he's the only one who could authorize a spectacle like this." Isshin sent Tenmou at the next wave of pseudo-hollow.

"This has that psycho Mayuri Kurotsuchi written all over it. That bastard is always up to no good." Uryu took out his own share of hollow wannabes with a shower of arrows.

"He would pull out all the stops to get his hands on any of us." Orihime shivered.

"Ichigo would be the ultimate specimen." Chad agreed.

"Holy Hell!" Amagai exclaimed from behind them. "Where the hell did that come from?! I just left the Sereitei and that isn't even on their radar!" He wasted no time joining in the foray.

"Yeah, we figured as much. Dad still can't take no for an answer, huh." Isshin was now fighting back to back with his little brother.

"Not possible. I'm it. He gave me the task of persuading Ichigo to eventually go up and visit him." Amagai had only seen a similar situation as the one they were facing once eons ago. He'd been ten years old. "This isn't like…"

"No, but someone really did their homework duplicating it." Isshin cut him off.

"Yeah, well, it's not making me feel any better that it's a fake attack! These are sill lethal, Pseudo-Hollow or not!" Amagai swore as another tear then another split the sky. "That isn't fake!"

"Shit! That's what I was afraid of! All of this activity lured the real Hollows here!" Uryu readied himself for serious combat.

"Rukia! Let Renji and me handle this with our Bankai." Ichigo eyes widened. The sky was showing signs of severe Hollow activity and he didn't like it one bit.

"He's right, Rukia! It's getting worse. We've got this." Renji was in full agreement with Ichigo.

"No! I will not run from a battle because I lack the skill to Bankai! If the two of you are staying then so am I!" Rukia got her back up.

"Son of a bitch! We've got even more company!" Renji gritted his teeth as more cracks split the skies around them.

"Aw crap!" Ichigo grabbed Rukia by slinging her over his shoulder and then shot towards the riverbank.

"Shit! Time to regroup!" Renji shot after the two of them.

--------------------------------------------

"Ichigo! Put me down!" Rukia furiously pounded her fists against his back.

"NO! Now quit squirming while I save both our skins!" Ichigo ignored her protests and focused on the battle before them.

The sky was cracking like an egg shell around them. Instinct had his Hollow mask forming on his face. The energy around them had changed to a more familiar darker feeling that of an imminent Hollow attack.

Rukia's eyes widened as she sensed, as well as felt the change in him as he underwent his Hollowfication transformation.

"We've been through worse situations than this before with the Espada. Hueco Mundo will take centuries to ever amass a power like that again. And all of the royal artifacts are safely under guard, so all of this can't be caused by that." She babbled nervously, something very out of character for her.

"_Babe, at this point, who the hell gives a shit what or who the fuck caused it! We're in the shit, but that's never stopped us before." _ Ichigo's voice was laced with Hichigo's and his darker half's attitude was bleeding into Ichigo's persona as well. _"Now do us a favor and stop your yapping. It annoys me."_ He slapped her on the derriere.

Rukia's face was flaming red and her eyes were spitting blue fire. No one swatted her in the behind! "Slap me in my behind will you, well, two can play that game." She snarled darkly focusing on making him pay.

"Rukia! Now don't go getting any ideas. I'm sorry about that slip in control…" Ichigo could feel her powering up for god knew what Kidō in her arsenal.

"He's annoying as Kon when he's you." Rukia hissed.

"Yeah, I know…but he's not me as a whole." Ichigo sliced his way through the Pseudo-Hollow all the while keeping gage on the new fractures in the skies above them. "What do ya make of all this? Those are the real deal, but the big one is a total farce. Could Gramps be trying to test us or has Captian Psycho Mad Scientist finally cracked? Because this is so that maniacs kind of scene."

"Captain Kurotsuchi has never resorted to a scale of this size with any of his experiments. Your grandfather has banned all experiments that would directly effect the living world, as this is doing by attracting extreme Hollow activity to the area." Rukia shoved her hair out of her eyes so that she could gage the situation at hand.

Isshin, Kiri, Amagai, and Ryuken were focusing all their energy on resealing the tears between the two dimensions, while the others focused on the Pseudo-Hollows still flowing out of the main tear. Jinta and Ururu had arrived along with Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai, and Soifon.

"Looks like the others finally decided to join in all the fun." Renji grinned.

"Yeah, looks like, but we have the rift and who caused it to deal with." Ichigo nodded.

"Well put me down and we'll go look into it." Rukia growled. "You know this isn't the most comfortable position."

"Am I hurting you?" Ichigo resituated her so that he was holding her in his arms, while still holding Zangetsu at the ready.

"Aw, how touching. Sorry to break it to the two of you love birds…Now is not the time for any, mush!" Renji rolled his eyes in disgust.

"I'm fine, Ichigo. I'm as skilled as you or Renji with a sword and have my mastery of Kidō to keep any Hollows from causing me any harm."  
Rukia loathed being treated like one of their weakest links. She'd defeated her own share baddies, including Espada. Ichigo's new protective streak was beginning to annoy her.

Ichigo felt as if she had slugged him in the gut. Why he hadn't the faintest clue, but her not wanting him to protect her stung like no tomorrow.

"Sorry if my concern for your safety irks you. No! Screw that! Yeah, you're good and I'm not saying otherwise! But me and Renji are faster and better because we've achieved Bankai making us leagues above your fighting skill! So you will take my help or heed my decisions on if you're in over your head or not and you will like it! I've nearly lost you more times than I like to remember and that's in the span of one year! I don't wish to lose you for good! Ya got me, Kuchiki! I love you too much to let that happen, so shut the hell up and let me focus on keeping us both from getting dead!" Ichigo was seething mad and let her know it.

"We're a team and I will not be treated like a weakling who can't hold her own in battle! I'm fine! I've nearly lost you more times than you even know! I have protected you long before you even became a shinigami! I love you too! I'm not about to let you go get yourself hurt or worse killed!" Rukia glared up into his blazing golden eyes.

"Fine. Just stay close, alright." Ichigo reluctantly let her go.

"I will if you will." Rukia leaned over and kissed his cheek, making him blush. "Let's go see who's up to no good this time."

"Uh-huh…Yeah, let's, uh, do that." Ichigo eyed her warily. _Where had this playful Rukia come from and had she just kissed him?_

-----------------------------------------------

"This is just perfect! Why'd ya have to go and do that?! You just had to go and kiss him and now he's useless to us! His mind is all mush now!" Renji threw his arms up in frustration.

"He's fine, Renji." Rukia smiled up at Ichigo's dazed face. "Aren't you, Ichigo?"

"Huh…what…" Ichigo blinked down at her as if coming out of a trance. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's do this."

"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?" Renji groaned.

"We just had to come to a mutual understanding, Renji. And now that we have we can focus on this mysterious new enemy." Rukia reassured him.

"_He has no choice. I'll take control if he doesn't stay focused on the fight." _Hichigo once again made his presence known. Ichigo's face was completely covered by his mask.

"Ichigo is your master and always will be. You will never gain complete control. Ichigo's will is ten times that of your own and that is why you rarely get to speak your mind. You are a part of him, nothing more than the darker side of his psyche, brought on by feelings long suppressed about his mother's death. Now that he knows the truth, your hold on him will be minimal unless called upon in situations such as this one." Rukia made it clear that his darker id side didn't frighten her or intimidate her in the least.

"_Girlie, you talk big, but a weak little thing like you is just that TALK! Ichigo's weakness is that he cares! He sympathizes with his enemies, even when they wish him dead!_ _You remember this, doll face! I exist because he was hell bent on rescuing you! So in a sense you created me by falling for Aizen's scheme!_" Hichigo sneered back at her.

"My choice. My decision. She had nothing to do with it. Now shut the hell up. I'm your King and that's never gonna change, no matter how much you claw to get free. Vizard or Shinigami. I am the one in control. You are just one weapon in my arsenal and nothing more than that. Try to change that and I'll erase you from existence! You need me to exist! I don't need you! So remember that!" Ichigo ripped off the mask and it disintegrated in his hands.

---------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe that the two of you are doing this now!" Uryu, having tired of fighting on the ground, used his Quincy version of the Flash Step to help Renji keep everything at bay while Rukia and Ichigo had a moment.

"Oh, don't mind them. It's just how they bond." Renji shrugged, his voice oozing with sarcasm.

Ichigo and Rukia glowered at Renji. "We do not need a battle to bond, Renji!"

"He's right. The two of you do seem to grow closer with each battle. Though it's not as if you've had any other choice. It's been one battle after another since you've met." Uryu tested out his latest skill, one that his father at least to his knowledge had yet to achieve. His bow now fired soul cleansing arrows, not unlike that of a Shinigami's Zanpaktou. He'd solved the factor that had kept Quincy and Shinigami at odds for centuries and all because Ichigo's darkest side had gone and impaled him with Zangetsu during a rare berserker rage during the battle with Espada #4. He like his cousins was now also a Shinigami/Quincy hybrid.

"Yeah, well, this job doesn't really allow for any downtime. That and the two of us live, for the most part, in two separate worlds." Ichigo took his frustrations out on anything exiting the rift with Getsu Tensu.

"Not true. She's been here more often than not, because she's your designated partner. She's only been away during times when she's been recovering from a past battle. Then I got assigned as your shadow. Then she comes back and we're both your shadows, only I was stuck over at Urahara's while she was bunking in your bedroom closet." Renji continued to thrash and decimate all of his targets with Zabimaru, while keeping up with the conversation.

"It was easier for me to keep an eye on Ichigo. Besides, I liked his closet. Its quiet and a very comfortable place to sleep." Rukia froze everything in her path with Sode no Shirayuki.

"Yeah, he's a trouble magnet all right." Renji smirked.

"It's not his fault that he hasn't been able to reign in his spiritual pressure." Uryu shrugged. "He's just hopeless in that area."

"Hey! I don't need handlers and I'm sure are hell not defective! I've just got a shit load of energy inside of me and its hell to keep it all in check!" Ichigo shot into the rift and it immediately started closing behind him.

"Ichigo!" The three of them just barely made it inside before it sealed itself shut.

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Next

Chapter Five

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Cindra © Sept 2008-2009


	5. Chapter 5

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Five

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

A/N: Just in case there is any confusion here's a little background on the aristocratic houses of the Soul Society, like many royal lines most of the aristocratic houses of the Soul Society are related to one another in one way or the other. Like Yoruichi for instance she fondly calls Yamamoto 'Uncle Yama', because her mother was his sister, and so forth.

And to Isshin Ichigo's little army are often refered to as 'the kids' seeing as they're nowhere near the actual age that he is....therefore he'll refer to them as the kids at times in the story.

-----------------------------------

"What the hell?!" Isshin swore ripely. "They've gone and taken the kids!!"

"Well, obviously someone's up to no good again." Kisuke scratched his head perplexed by what or who was behind this latest big bads strategy.

"The General will not be pleased." Soifon scowled.

"Yama will no doubt call for someone's head if he's harmed." Yoruichi's golden cat's eyes narrowed to slits that someone could be this bold at targeting one of their own.

"Harm him? Not bloody likely. Hell. I feel sorry for whoever took him." Amagai wasn't the least bit concerned, knowing full well that he and his loyal comrades could just about handle anything or anyone they came across.

Ichigo had the uncanny ability to grow from every battle that he fought making it virtually impossible for an opponent to defeat him the same way twice. So whoever the poor bloke was that targeted him was sealing their own fates and should count themselves lucky that his nephew didn't believe in killing anyone.

"Uh, Shin? Where did Kiri go?" He noticed that she was nowhere to be found.

"She Flash Stepped just before it closed up." Orihime worriedly bit her lip. "I hope they'll be okay."

"Don't worry, Inoue. They'll be fine." Chad placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Was this all to get, big brother?" Yuzu worriedly looked up at her father.

"It sure looks like it to me." Karin scowled.

"They're tough and should be fine." Jinta tried to reassure her.

"Yes, they're all very brave." Ururu said timidly.

"This all has a very familiar smell to it." Tessai shot Kisuke a look.

"Clearly, whoever has taken them will soon discover that they have made a grievous error in judgment. Nevertheless, your superiors should be informed." Ryuken calmly stared up at the now pristine sky.

Soifon had already left.

"Well, what's your take on this Kisuke?" Isshin protectively held his daughters in his arms.

"The reiatsu signature is familiar…" Kisuke frowned.

"You should have let him rot in prison." Yoruichi glowered at him. "The 'Maggot's Nest' was a fitting punishment for him."

"Dad asked everyone, but Mayuri. He could have gotten his feelings hurt, that's if the maniac has feelings. The guy is a real psycho, not unlike Kenpachi." Amagai, trying to think of all the angles, brainstormed the situation for possible solutions.

"Central 46 put him there for good reason. He had serial psychopathic tendencies and was already guilty of murdering hundreds of Rukongai citizens, even murdered his own family. His zanpakutou was his undoing. There was no way that he could be allowed to subject his fellow shinigami to the same fate of his other victims. During his academy years, he played it safe by trying not to cause attention on himself. That was until he fought his first Hollow and collected a piece to study. I personally put his sorry psychopathic ass away," Isshin realized whom they were speaking about.

"He was in the same class as Aizen, who was fascinated by his work. Section 46 had been searching for the serial killer for years. It was only when Mayuri received his Zanpaktou did they realize he had been hiding out under their noses. He'd done sick experiments on kids, pregnant mothers; anyone he saw as weak was prey in his sick minded eyes. Kiri and I found one of his labs…" Isshin knew that if Mayuri was involved then the kids were in way over their heads. The guy was capable of anything.

"Why the hell did you let him go? Were you completely out of your mind!?" Amagai glared at Kisuke.

"He seemed reformed to me. He was brilliant and…"

"He was using you, but you couldn't see that because the two of you spoke the same language of science and discovery." Yoruichi cut him off. "It was the main reason that I asked Yama to transfer you to the Captain's position. I wanted to get you away from him. But, it was already too late. He had you under his influence enough to get you to arrange for his release. Then Aizen had access to him once more and he used him to help create his experiments. And how did they repay you I ask? They framed you for everything!"

"The bastard is sly and slick minded as they get. You knew this and still you gave him free rein in the lab?" Isshin was beginning to feel that his best friend's exile fit his crime of poor judgment.

"I was exiled for my mistakes! Yes, I know what a patsy I was at the time! But, it was nice having someone listen to my ideas, instead of laughing at them!!" Kisuke snarled back at his friends, he was tired of being roasted over the coals by them.

"Most of your inventions still keep us all safe, even to this day. It was when you focused on Hollows and their creation that I got leery of your ideas." Isshin countered in his defense.

"I lost everyone that horrific day. Countless Urahara slaughtered because we let our guards down. We all became complacent with my family's crowning achievement, a barrier capable of keeping our world in a protective bubble, able to withstand any Hueco Mundo attacks for countless lifetimes. Powered by the positive energy of those it protected. Only, no society can ever completely remain harmonious forever. Eventually, negativity seeps in, weakening the strongest of barriers, and they fall…leaving those inside powerless because they'd all forgotten how to fight using the ancient ways. The aftermath changed us all. I made a promise to myself that their deaths would not be for nothing. I used science to achieve that…" Kisuke loathed having to go down this memory lane.

"It was a matter of all of our survival to develop faster methods of excelling ones skill, as well as ways to guard us in battles." He paced restlessly before them.

"No one is saying otherwise. We all make mistakes, some lead to life altering situations, but we learn from them and move on." Yoruichi placed her hands on his shoulders and locked eyes with him.

"Mayuri has many faces. It's how he's managed to survive, but he's only loyal to himself and all things science." Tessai felt for his boss, but this was bound to happen sooner or later.

"He's a monster and will stop at nothing in his thirst for knowledge. Aizen was the same, only his was for power and revenge against the Sereitei for being powerless to prevent all those lives from being lost, including his own family. He forged an alliance with Hueco Mundo, sacrificing his soul for the power to destroy us all." Yoruichi turned sensing the Senkei Gate behind them.

Yamamoto, Hitsugaya, Soifon, Lt. Mia of Zero Unit, Shunsui, and Jushiro stood in the open doorway.

"Uncle Yama…. "

"Dad…."

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Next

Chapter Six

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	6. Chapter 6

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Six

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

A/N: Just in case there is any confusion here's a little background on the aristocratic houses of the Soul Society, like many royal lines most of the aristocratic houses of the Soul Society are related to one another in one way or the other. Like Yoruichi for instance she fondly calls Yamamoto 'Uncle Yama', because her mother was his sister, and so forth.

Also just to clear up any confusion Soifon has already met Karin and Yuzu when they stayed over at Kisuke's after Ichigo seriously injured his arm. I just never wrote the meeting....

-----------------------------------

"Dad…" Amagai and Isshin eyed him warily.

Yama's ancient golden eyes were open and blazing with silent fury.

"General Yamamoto…" Kisuke got down on his knees in submission.

"Rise. Kisuke. There is no need for you to grovel before me. I know that it is because of you that my grandson lives to this very day. Your guidance prepared him for the trials ahead. I was bitter and set in my own ways, until Ichigo opened my eyes allowing me to see things clearly again." Yama placed a gnarled hand on Kisuke's shoulder.

"Hello, Shin, long time no see." Shunsui drawled lazily, tipping his hat in greeting to the others. He took in the two girls in Isshin's arms and his grin widened even more. "My, my, looks like your girls are taking after Masaki."

"Masaki would want them to explore both sides of their lineage, Shunsui. The Quincy are our allies now and we should encourage their efforts to carry on their line." Jushiro smiled warmly at the girls.

"That and they won't be able to become shinigami until their lives have expired." Toshiro eyed Karin's new look with mixed feelings.

"We all must follow our own paths." Lt. Mia said softly.

"Girls, this is Lt. Mia Chibia. Captains Shunsui, Jushiro, Toshiro, and Soifon. Lastly, is the boss of them all…Commander-General of all he surveys, your grandfather, my dad Genryuusai Yamamoto." Isshin introduced the twins to his father, two best friends, and colleagues. "Everyone, this is Karin and Yuzu. My own precious angels. Next to that are Ryuken Ishida, a Quincy Master, father of Uryu, brother-in-law, and one of my closest friends. You all know Chad, Orihime, Tessai, and Yoruichi. But I'm not all that sure that you know Kisuke's charges Jinta and Ururu."

"Gross Dad! Precious angels! Please stop! You're trying way too hard…!" Karin snorted rolling her eyes at him in disgust. "Besides, I've met Soifon and Toshiro already."

"Karin, be nice!" Yuzu hissed, before smiling weakly at the new arrivals. "It's nice to meet all of you. I'm just sorry it's under such circumstances. Perhaps we should all adjourn to Uncle Kisuke's shop or our Clinic for the time being. "

"Tea is not gonna bring big brother or the others back home!" Karin growled in frustration. "They're all here to find them and fight this new big bad, not make nice over tea and sandwiches."

Yama looked over at his granddaughters and his heart swelled with pride. "Karin reminds me so much of my Saiya and of you when you were her age. Yuzu takes after Masaki and her Great-Grandmother Zana."

"Mom was quite the firebrand and Grams was gentle, yet formidable when crossed. Masaki shines in all of them though. Ichigo takes after Gramps and the three of us, making him a virtually unstoppable force with Masaki's kind gentle heart and fierce protective instinct." Isshin made nice with his father.

"Mush and more mush." Karin wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Karin, your manners. That is not the kind of first impression to make in front of our grandfather." Yuzu chided her.

"Yeah, whatever, you be Miss Priss!!" Karin threw her hands up in disgust and stalked off to go brood somewhere in private. "Gramps can wait! Ichigo can't! I am so out of here!"

"Karin! Get back here!" Yuzu shouted crossly.

"No! Have fun making nice with Gramps and the others! I'm gone!" Karin snarled back.

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"Yuzu, she'll be fine. Karin needs to go somewhere and brood for a while." Isshin put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "This is the first time she's witnessed your brother in battle and her first major fight against the unknown. This is far from your brother's first go with an unknown force. He knows exactly what he's doing, so try not to worry, all right. We're gonna get him and the others back, but in the meantime need to regroup and talk strategy."

"If there is a new enemy hiding in the shadows then Karin shouldn't be left unprotected. She's coming into her powers and as rash and stubborn as her brother." Toshiro growled softly.

"Jinta, go keep Karin company. She tolerates you enough to not hurt you too badly." Kisuke ordered his charge.

"No problem, boss. Don't you worry, my goddess, I'll keep an eye on Karin." Jinta winked at his crush.

"Commander, I wish to go as well. We don't know to what extent this new enemy is targeting the royal family." Toshiro was far from impressed with the boy's obvious devotion to Karin's twin and no amount of promising Yuzu would insure that he could actually keep that promise. "Good intentions aside, it will take more than a boy's promise to Yuzu to protect Karin."

Jinta's face now matched his scarlet red hair and he was glaring murderously at the youngest captain of then Gotei 13 Protection Squads. "Boy?! I've got news for you, pal! I've lived an eternity to your handful of centuries! I could easily wipe the floor with nearly any of you standing here! But, I can't because I'm forever bound to this form as penance for a few incidents that I may or may not have caused!"

"Incidents? You while playing a chess game, using real life subjects, along with your sister, were responsible for sinking Atlantis! Along with the fall of Ancient empires such as Greece and Rome! Your mischief caused chaos to rein and because of that Hueco Mundo became more powerful as well!" Yamamoto, his ancient eyes narrowed to slits, reminded him in a sharp tone.

"We said we were sorry…didn't we. It's not our fault that Tellurians are all sheep willing to follow anyone who leads them." Jinta grumbled.

"Um…We wanted to even the odds and teach those bullies a lesson. They were being awfully cruel to millions of innocent people." Ururu whimpered quietly.

"How were we supposed to know that a few volcanoes could cause so much damage?" Jinta muttered darkly.

"That was your penance? Reforming two delinquent higher powers?" Toshiro arched a brow at Kisuke.

"Well, not exactly no." Kisuke scratched at the back of his neck. "You see, I kind of discovered the two of them in a pocket dimension and that was when they became my wards. They were willing to follow my rules, no questions asked. After all, I had freed them from their dimensional prison where they had been locked away for over a millennia. They were only too happy to accept the terms of their freedom, knowing full well that I could easily return them to their prison if they strayed back to their old ways."

"Yeah, well, anyone who use ta be the warden of 'The Maggots Nest' was way out of our leagues power wise." Jinta shrugged.

"We also liked being included in a family. No one had ever treated us like that before. It was really nice." Ururu smiled.

"Toshiro was recruited by Lt. Rangiku Matsumoto before he could turn dark, so the two of you aren't really that different." Shunsui smirked, ignoring Toshiro's icy glare. "He had quite the bad attitude until Rangiku found him and now he's her boss."

"That is quite enough, Shunsui. Toshiro will watch over Karin while the rest of us adjourn to my son's home." Yama ended the war on words with that simple statement and a stern look at the ones involved.

Toshiro wasted no time setting off after Karin.

"Hey wait for me will ya!" Jinta shot off after him.

"We'll set up in the basement." Isshin nodded in agreement.

"Dad. We don't have a basement." Yuzu frowned, blinking up at him in confusion.

"Yes we do, sweetie. Its daddy's private venting grounds, not unlike Ryuken or Kisuke's own secret lairs. All three happened to be cloaked allowing their occupants free rein to use spiritual pressure without detection. Mine's not nearly as sparse and desolate as Kisuke's. I prefer a more Zen environment. It helps me think through stressful situations. It's where I grow my medical plants for my homeopathic treatments."

"We'll need a viewer… to inform the others of the situation…" Jushiro managed between coughing fits.

"I told you to stay back at the Sereitei." Shunsui eyed his best friend worriedly.

"I'm fine, Shunsui. It'll pass." Jushiro coughed weakly into a soft cloth.

"Um…" Orihime bit down on her lip. "I can try and heal him. I would have offered to sooner, but I didn't really know that Captain Ukitake was so seriously ill. I know that I'm not really as strong as all of you, power wise, but please let me try."

"Child, don't ever sell yourself short like that. Your power comes from the heart and that is the most powerful energy of all." Jushiro managed to smile weakly at her. "I would be a fool not to let you try and heal the illness that has plagued me all of my life."

"We'll set up at my place and then Orihime can work her healing magic on you while Dad uses the viewer in my Zen oasis." Isshin shot Ryuken a look. "You coming along with or not?"

"Someone has to keep you from going off on a tangent." Ryuken stared back at him.

"Hey! I have all the confidence in the universe in my kid and yours. It's Mayuri that I don't trust. If he's the mastermind it's gonna get really dicey."

"General Yamamoto, with Captian Kirio shadowing them, all should be fine. However, I and the elite of the Royal Guard will conduct a through search of our own. Queen Masaki would wish it so." Lt. Mia was eager to do her part in finding the prince and his comrades.

"Agreed. Koji, Soifon, Yoruichi, and the Special Forces will also join your team in the search. Observe only. Do not engage this adversary until we know exactly who or what we are dealing with." Yama ordered softly and his son and the three women vanished.

"Dad, if this is Mayuri causing this mess then Shinji and the others are gonna want in on this as well."

"Shinji and Hiyori are especially fond of Ichigo." Tessai nodded.

"It won't take long for his being missing to reach their ears." Kisuke frowned, not really thinking that this was the time to tell them that Shinji was pacing back at his shop.

"I will deal with that when the situation arises for now let us go to your clinic." Yama growled softly ending any and all conversation until later.

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Next

Chapter Seven

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	7. Chapter 7

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Seven

By Cindra

A/N: I did a little revision just to clear up anymore questions like the one asked in Eradona's review...hope it helps clear things up.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

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"This is a new one." Ichigo and the others stood in what appeared to be a cavernous area illuminated by luminescent crystals.

"No sand is fine by me." Renji growled.

"Hueco Mundo at least had allies; this place is a total mystery." Rukia could feel eyes watching their every move.

"This was obviously a ploy to lure us here so all of need to be on our guard." Uryū had a bad feeling about who was up to no good. Urahara had provided all of them with a barrage of vaccinations after they had returned from Hueco Mundo to guard against any poisons or viruses that his former protégé could devise against them. He also negated the psycho's access to his person, but he could still sense the bastard if he was around.

"What's wrong, Uryū? Ya, getting bad vibes?" Ichigo asked.

"We're being watched." Rukia took out her phone to contact the Sereitei. "Damn it, it's being jammed. I've got no signal…"

"The crystals must be blocking the signal." Kirio made her presence known.

"Rio. What's going on?" Ichigo scowled. "Where the hell are we?"

"Somewhere I haven't been in over two millennia. King Getsu had these caverns sealed off and for good reason. This used to be the main source of spiritual stone, until it was discovered that what was buried underneath the stone was depleting to those possessing spiritual energy. The stones seemed harmless at first. Many royals coveted them as things of great power or beauty. Then those who coveted such rare and glorious gems began to grow old. Their very essence drained away by the Soul Gems…more like Soul Stealers." Kiri shivered as this was not a happy memory.

"Rio, what's wrong?" Ichigo eyed her worriedly.

"Just remembering one of my not so nice adventures with your Uncle Koji. We were just out of the Academy and determined to prove ourselves to Shin and the others by solving the mystery behind the deaths and illness plaguing the very elite of our kind. The trail led us to the Senkei mines…" Kiri answered softly.

"But everything is built out of reishi or positive spiritual energy." Uryū frowned puzzled by what she was telling them.

"Yes, the essence of everything is created from reishi, but that is merely a building block by which all of our materials are derived from." Kiri nodded.

"Like how living beings are created from DNA?" Ichigo forced himself to focus on what she was saying, but it was difficult as his head was pounding.

"Reishi is no different. Objects that are created by reishi can create negative byproducts, such as this beautiful but deadly gemstone."

"Do these stones have an instantaneous effect or is it gradual depending on how long one is exposed?" Uryū inquired.

"Depending on the size of the stone its effects can be gradual or otherwise." Kiri narrowed her eyes at her former charge. There was a very different energy about him and it worried her.

"What? Is my mask forming again?" Ichigo scowled. "Give me a break, Rio! I'm having a bad day, alright!"

"No one faults you for your darker half so focus on the now." Renji growled.

"Ichigo, only a handful of Soul Reapers are immune to the Soul Stealers effects. All but a few of them are from your bloodline." Kiri spoke in a soothing tone as if dealing with a cranky toddler.

"Yeah, well, that's good for him, but still leaves us vulnerable." Renji sneered.

"Soul Stealers take time to drain energy and these are all but dormant." Kiri explained patiently.

"Then we need to keep moving and focus on finding a way out of these caverns." Rukia was also worried about the energy that she was feeling around Ichigo.

"There's something different about the cavern. It's not possible that we've been transported to the ancient Senkei mines, yet those are Soul Stealer gemstones all around us. Crystals that should have rendered us all powerless… Yet here we are still very much unaffected…Something is very off about this whole situation…" Kiri brainstormed the situation trying to put the pieces together in her mind.

"That's a good thing right?" Renji hated closed in spaces.

"Renji, if these stones have been tweaked by Captain Kurotsuchi then no it's not a good thing in the least." Rukia rolled her eyes at him.

"The fissure closed as soon as Ichigo entered it, so this was a trap set for him. We're just an added bonus." Uryū fired a series of arrows at the crystals that were instantly absorbed into them. "That answers that question. These crystals still feed off of or absorb spiritual energy."

"Uryū, lets not try and activate Soul Stealing gemstones if they happen to be currently dormant, alright!" Ichigo narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "Now let's get out of here before Doc Psycho comes to check on his trap."

"Uh, Ichigo, your eyes are that creepy gold again…"

"Yeah, so what Renji! My head is coming off and this whole situation has me on edge!"

"I'm used to the other, but now your eyes are reminding me of a reptile, cuz they're getting almond shaped..."

"I'm me, alright! Now let's get the hell out of this place!" Ichigo stalked off towards what he hoped was the exit to their crystal prison.

"Renji, the last thing we need is for Ichigo to lose it, so enough with the critiques!" Uryū hissed.

"He's already gone off twice, but this is something different I tell ya! There is something off about his Reiatsu!" Renji hissed back.

"His Hollow side is feeding off of the Soul Stealers energy." Kiri observed quietly.

"Captain…"

"Call me Kiri, Rukia. I'm not stuffy like your brother. Kiri is fine."

"Kiri, do you think that Captian Kurotsuchi enhanced the Soul Stealers effects to draw out Hichigo?"

"Mayuri never got to witness any of his and Aizen's creations transformations, so yes, Rukia. That is a very definite possibility." Kiri nodded.

Uryū's eyes widened as something hit him that few knew about Ichigo's Vizard side. "Then we're not talking Hichigo here at all. This will be far more extensive of a change than just his eyes, voice, and mask."

"We're not talkin full-blown Hollow here are we?" Renji eyed Ichigo's now exceedingly pale complexion alarmingly.

"Shinji and the other Vizards all took on Hollow like transformations when exposed to Mayuri and Aizen's experiment. It's one of the reasons why they were slated to be hunted down, but Kisuke thought otherwise knowing that they were all trapped inside their monstrous forms and used the Hougyoku to try to reverse the damage. His efforts failed to completely reverse the effects caused by Mayuri and Aizen's experiment and so he was framed and accused of causing the whole debacle. The Vizards were ordered executed as Hollows…so they all fled to your world fugitives by no fault of their own. Kisuke even perfected the process if in fact such drastic measures were ever needed…" Kiri explained.

"Ichigo would never hurt us." Rukia scowled.

"Of course, I would never hurt you guys. Why? What's got ya thinking that I would?" Ichigo turned around to growl at them, his voice had now changed as well. A fact that had him reaching up to feel his face for his mask. There was no mask as of yet, but his eyes did however take in his milky white complexion.

"Rio! What the hell is going on?! My…My…skin its like Hichigo's!"

"Mayuri modified the Soul Stealers to trigger your Hollowfication…"

Ichigo's eyes widened in alarm. "Hichigo or worse?"

"I'm leaning towards worse, seein as you're turning white and are growing talons…" Renji tried to act cool, but his face showed otherwise.

"Ichigo, you need to calm your mind. Remember your training with Shinji." Rukia walked up to him reaching up to touch his face.

"I caused them all extreme bodily harm during the training to rein in my Hollow side. They had so many Kidō locks on me and it was barely enough to contain it!" Ichigo had to get away from them. He never wanted Rukia to see what he was like in that form.

"Are ya Vasto lorde/Espada or a whole new level like that?" Renji arched a brow at him.

"You don't wanna know. I look something out of an alien movie as a Hollow. I mean really, freaky with a lizard head, tail, and the works…" He held his head in agony. "You…have…to…get out of here…while...I'm still me!"

"No!!" Rukia snapped.

"Rukia! I don't want you to…"

"See the beast side of the prince? Tough, we're not leaving you."

"I don't wanna hurt you…any of you…"

"You won't. I'm a Kidō master. Tessai was my sensei. I even surpassed Hachigen. I'm Unit Zero's Captain and can easily take on or best the current Gotei 13 elite." Kiri locked eyes with him. "I will get you out of here."

Ichigo focused everything he had on reversing his Hollowfication, only to fall to his knees nearly blacking out from the mind numbing pain searing through his head. "Bind me…" He panted out through teeth gritted in agony. "With the Six…rods…Prison…of…light!"

"Hollowfication or not you are still Ichigo inside. You will not harm us. You know us, care about us. We're your family. Shinji and the others were strangers to you! They weren't under your protection. Therefore, you weren't in control!" Rukia knelt down on her knees in front of him.

Ichigo looked into soulful blue eyes filled with loving concern and a fierce determination to protect him.

"It's not like Hichigo! I'm a monster that has off the charts reiatsu, strength, agility… the works! It fires cero with point blank accuracy! I go off on a spiritual walk just to rein it in again! We're talking going head to head with Hichigo not to mention have to chat with former big bads like Kariya, Kenpachi, and not with Great-Gramps either! So bind me damn it while you still can!" His voice echoed Hichigo's now; yet there was no mask!

"_Serves you right! Ya brainless dumbass, for falling for Psycho Doc's trap! Now you've gone and let Berserker Freak come out and join the fucking party! Neither one of us can has control of him! Why is that you ask?! Cuz you had to go and rescue Bodacious Bosoms from Aizen before finishing your fucking training with Shinji and that whackjob psycho pigtailed brat of his, not ta mention the rest the Vizard clan! Now it'll take both of us combined to lock him back up in his cage again!__**" **_Hichigo sneered in his head.

"Renji…I can't…get Rukia away…"

_*Finally! It took long enough for the gems to create the necessary effect! I shall finally see what the pinnacle results to an experiment centuries in the making!* _Captain Kurotsuchi was fused into the wall so that he could see everything first hand a mistake that would cost him dearly.

Black energy radiated around him. His hair grew into a longer mane down to his waist. Bones protruded like spikes out of his shoulders. Black vein like stripes streaked up his arms, legs, and body. His Hollow mask formed over his face clear to the back of his skull with his mane of hair protruding wildly from it. His talon like hands were encased in gauntlets of protective bone and bone like armor protected his knees and shins. His now three toed feet still were shod in sandals. His torso area was also protected by bone armor. His whip like tail was the last to form and caused him agonizing pain, so much so that he threw his hands up in the air and cast cero up at the ceiling causing the whole area around them to shake violently around him, before springing back to his feet.

_*NO!!! It can't be!! I won't be ended this way!!!* _Captain Kurotsuchi screamed inwardly.

Ichigo's cero had canceled out Doc Psycho's cavernous façade. They were somewhere underneath in the Seireitei's ancient catacombs. It was fortunate for them that the Soul Stealers absorbed the cero blast before shattering to pieces, but for Captain Kurotsuchi it proved to be a potentially fatal mistake.

"_That…was…so…not…fun…." _Ichigo/Hichigo snarled darkly.

The four of them were stunned speechless.

"_That freaky Psycho Doc is soooo gonna pay!" _his eyes blazed with fury.

Rukia was the first to speak. "Ichigo, do you know us still?"

"He seems lucid and aware of his surroundings." Uryū frowned.

"He ain't attacking us, so let's not push our luck." Renji hissed.

"You merged with your darker half. Is it mutual or a temporary truce?" Kirio arched a brow at him her tone clearly showed how proud she was of his accomplishment.

"_Neither of us wished for the Pixie there to get mangled or all of you either…seeing as ya come through in a fight. Rio kitty there saved his Ma and the other two have saved our asses more often than not, so we've forged a truce. This had better not be fucking permanent or we're gonna rip him to shreds!" _

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Next

Chapter eight

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	8. Chapter 8

;Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Eight

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

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Kurosaki Clinic/Homestead

Shinji lounged on the roof of the clinic as he awaited the arrival of Isshin, Kisuke, and their guests. Something major was a foot, seeing as Old Yama-geezer had personally come down off his tower to handle this emergency. Shun and Jushiro were also with him. The prodigy Captian was nearby as well as Yuzu minus her twin sister Karin, Orihime, Chad, Tessai, Kisuke's two charges, Ishida's father the Quincy Master himself, but no Renji, Uryū, Rukia or Ichigo among them.

Moreover, he couldn't sense any of their reiatsu's and with Ichigo that wasn't possible. Had someone taken down Strawberry and his comrades in arms? The very idea was staggering.

"Shinji, nice of you to nap on my roof while all hell is breaking lose at the riverbank!" Isshin glowered up at him.

"Kisuke ditched me back at his place and ya can't sense anything in that frickin basement of his!" Shinji shrugged.

"He was Ichigo's surprise instructor for today's session." Kisuke cleared the air.

"The kid needs to continue on with his training whether he likes it or not." Shinji easily jumped off the roof and landed soundlessly on the porch steps. "Besides not being on the lamb is boring as hell and this place rarely if ever boring."

"Shinji, Mayuri is up to his darker antics again." Kisuke cut to the chase.

"Mayuri has Ichigo?!" Shinji's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Yeah, that's what we're figuring and Ichigo had company." Amagai scowled.

"Uryū, Rukia, and Renji?"

"Yeah and Kirio as well," Isshin nodded.

"Kiri?" Shinji was all smiles now. "She loathes the bastard. Better than that, she has a counter attack to his liquidation defense."

"She's also fond of my kid."

"Yeah, ain't they all…" Shinji chuckled. "The kid's a magnet for females. Trouble is he ain't got a clue what ta do about em." He winked at Orihime.

To his bewilderment her eyes narrowed to slits and she glared icily at him.

"Ichigo is a gentleman and Rukia is the luckiest girl in the universe, because he's chosen her as his match." She said coolly.

"Rukia caught Strawberry?!" Shinji scratched at the back of his neck dumbfounded by this shocking bit of news. "But…I thought…I mean, since he risked everything to rescue you that…"

"Come on, Orihime, I'll fix you a soothing cup of tea." Yuzu took her by the hand, glowering at the newcomer.

"Ichigo cares for all of his friends." She hissed at him as the two of them stalked up the porch steps.

"That wasn't very nice of you." Ururu glared at him before following the other two girls into the house.

"Did you just call my son Strawberry?" Isshin smirked.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, the girls nicknamed him that on account of his hair…" He shook his head in confusion as the girls disappeared into the house. "What'd I say…I didn't mean ta make her go off in a snit…I was only teasing is all…"

"Of all the clueless…" Jushiro shook his head in disappointment.

"The kid risked everything for Rukia long before Aizen ever played his final hand." Shunsui rolled his eyes at him.

"Look, it's like this. She's also enamored with my kid, only he's made his choice or fate did…the facts are that Rukia's his soul mate and it crushed her dreams of her and him as a couple…He's still pretty much clueless about what that means, but it's slowly becoming clearer to him as time goes on." Isshin raked his fingers through his spiky jet black hair.

"Back up here for a second and clear this up for me…Ichigo came to this revelation because?" Shinji's interest was peaked.

"My grandson threw a royal tantrum after discovering the truth about his father's true origins." Yama was tiring of this, but then he knew that Shinji wouldn't be satisfied until he knew everything that was going on.

"Yeah, I can see him goin ape shit after that epiphany." He nodded thoughtfully at his former commander and chief. Arching a brow at him as if to say well come on old man spill it there has to be more than that.

Yamamoto sighed deeply and said. "Ichigo, not unlike his father at his age, tends to take out his fury on inanimate objects. Shin often chose an old abandoned structure where as my grandson chose his domicile's window."

"Trashing his room or buildings ain't his kind of scene. Strawberry likes to take his aggressions out on thugs that like ta traumatize innocents." Shinji was not happy with what he was hearing. It wasn't like him at all to go and lose his cool like that. It meant that his control was slipping and that was bad news. "Now why'd he go and trash his bedroom window?"

"Ichigo thought that he was already dead…" Kisuke reluctantly spoke up.

"Who the hell went and spilled that bit of info to him? I mean, it's no wonder that he did what he did if he thought that he was running around in a gigai!"

"Look, Hirako! My kid was off the scales pissed at me, so he wasn't thinking straight. He's Shinigami/Quincy as it is and that makes him virtually impossible to kill in any form. He can however still bleed to death while in either form if he hits an artery then chooses to ignore the wound. He's still very much living and he damn near killed himself learning that a few weeks ago!" Isshin snarled in frustration.

"The boy is only sixteen, a mere babe compared to all of us, so ripples like that are the norm. Nevertheless, it is clear that he lacks discipline…" Yama growled softly.

"Dad, he's beyond excelling in his Kidō training. Though his ability to rein in Hichigo still needs a lot of work…" Isshin glowered at Shinji.

"Hey! What'd ya mean by that! Ichigo can maintain his mask and stay in complete control nearly indefinitely." Shinji snarled back.

"Yeah, that may be so but his temper still gets the better of him and the result of that are impromptu chats with Hichigo…It's happened half a dozen times since…" Isshin paused narrowing his eyes. He could sense his son's fury even here in the living. "Well, that's a relief at least I know that he's okay."

Shinji having also sensed Ichigo's fury frowned. "Somethin is beyond off…it's as if Ichigo and Hichigo merged with each other…"

"Exactly what do you mean by merged?" Shun and Jushiro looked alarmingly at him.

"You two know exactly what I mean. It's the berserker side of him, only this time it's…"

"No!! Not like last time…" Orihime cried in alarm from where she stood in the open doorway.

Shinji took in her ghostly white face and swore under his breath. Females could be so bloody sensitive sometimes. "Now let's not panic or anything like that, Orihime. Ya didn't give me time to…" He tried to get her to calm down before the hysterics commenced.

"He isn't in control…he goes completely mental and does things like stab one of his best friends…" She bit down on her lip as the images of that day flashed before her eyes. "I don't ever want to see him like that again…" She fainted.

Ryūken and Isshin narrowed their eyes at the others and then turned their eyes on Chad.

"Ichigo impaled someone intentionally?" Isshin growled softly.

"Uh…I wasn't there when it happened, but it wasn't his fault…" Chad had walked over and caught Orihime in his arms. "Uryū tried to get him to calm down and Ichigo's Hollow side was in protect at any cost mode…It all turned out alright though, because it turns out that Zangetsu doesn't kill innocents. Seeing as Uryū has a nearly off the charts reiatsu, not unlike Ichigo, the result was not unlike what occurred when Ichigo did the same thing with Rukia's Zanpaktou…" He gave in to their glares and reluctantly explained what had happened to the two fathers.

"Nah, he's just the next generation of Quincy/Shinigami." Shunsui shrugged.

"What Shun means is that the two of them are like two sides of the same coin. While one focuses on being a Quincy and the other focuses on being a Shinigami the two are also a perfect blending of both ancient races…" Jushiro coughed weakly.

"That explains my son's new abilites to perform Konsou with his arrows and my nephew's campaign to seal a permanent truce between our clans." Ryūken locked gazes with Isshin.

"That and why my kid's been reluctant to sleep these days. Gods he must be reliving what happened in his dreams."

"Ichigo has very little recall of that time and doesn't want to know what happened." Kisuke also now knew what Ichigo wasn't putting up a fight about his training.

"I heard about the gist of it all and have gotten a taste of that berserker side of him. Hichigo usually takes over when Ichigo can't function anymore. He puts that side of him to sleep and then takes down the thing that was pummeling the hell out of their body. He's protective of Orihime and if she were in hysterics or in mortal peril he'd kill to protect her. It's the primal side of his psyche. Now what happened in Las Noches was simple. Ulquiorra had defeated him to the point of dying. He couldn't leave her unprotected there was too much at stake, so he upped the ante to an off the scales uncontrollable level of vizard. We call it his rabid Espada Zero/Vizard transformation. Not even Hichigo can control that side of him and with Ichigo down for the duration all hell broke loose. She kept screaming at him and that made things even worse. That was then and this is now. This time their Hollowfication transformation got triggered by circumstances not under their control nor are they in battle. The two of them made a mutual decision to rein in that side, so that none of the others would be endangered by another berserker rage like last time. He grows from every battle and experience, learns from his mistakes, and never lets that situation over come him again." Shinji paced in front of them as he brainstormed the situation.

"Uryū doesn't fault him for it or anything. He'll know how to handle the situation. Rukia and Renji will too. Besides, Ichigo's even stronger than before, so it should be all good. Can't say that the others in the Sereitei will react well to seeing him like that, but then again it's no secret so it should be fine." Chad said quietly as he carried her into the house.

"It's okay, kid. No one is faulting him so relax." Amagai reassured him.

"Here, Sado. I will tend to Orihime while you and the others advise the Soul Society to the situation at hand." Ryūken carefully took Orihime from his arms.

Yuzu walked out of the kitchen took in the situation and reacted accordingly. "Is she alright?" She asked worriedly.

"She's just had a long day, honey. She'll be fine after she rests for a while." Isshin smiled at her.

"Well, in that case we'll get her settled upstairs in my room." She motioned for her Uncle to follow her up the stairs.

"Thanks sweetie. We'll see you in a bit. Ryūken knows where to find us if you need anything."

"Okay Daddy. I'll have dinner ready in an hour or so."

"Dinner may have to wait, but we'll see."

"Daddy, we all need to eat to keep our strength up and our minds focused on finding big brother and the others." Yuzu said crossly.

"I'm sure that all of us will be more than ready to eat in an hour or so." Jushiro smiled weakly at her.

"I never turn down a home cooked meal." Shunsui winked tipping his hat at her.

"You are quite right, child, and we will dine with you when the meal is ready, but for now more pressing matters need to be seen to." Yamamoto smiled at his little granddaughter.

"Don't you worry, little niece. We'll all be more than ready to eat in an hour or two." Amagai saluted her.

Chad remained as always his quiet brooding self, choosing to nod at her instead of saying a word.

"I'll call you when it's ready. Oh, and Chad. Don't you worry about Orihime she's gonna be just fine."

Chad flushed even more at the attention. "Uh, thanks…Yuzu…I'm gonna go for a walk…I'll check on Karin as well…" He beat a hasty retreat out the front doors.

"Poor kid he doesn't really like to talk does he?" Shinji smirked.

"Tall dark and deadly is his modus operandi, but from what I've seen he's anything but how he looks." Amagai chuckled.

"Be nice, you two. Chad is just shy and there is no crime against being shy is there." Yuzu narrowed her eyes at them then stalked up the rest of the stairs.

"Chad is one of a kind as are the rest of Ichigo's comrades in arms." Kisuke said softly.

"Chad is very nice and has a big heart." Ururu stated in his defense. "You could learn from him if you wanted too." She sniffed then set off after Chad.

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"Ururu has a crush on Chad." Isshin arched a brow at his best friend.

"Well, he has saved her life more than a few times, and she his." He shrugged then focused on the situation at hand. "Harmless crushes aside; our main focus should be on Ichigo and the others. Ichigo has very little recall of being 'The Berserker'. He hates to kill anyone including those he has to battle. Hollows are one thing, but Espada are intelligent beings with dark tendencies for some and peaceful neutrality for others. It was Aizen's influence that marred their thinking."

"Yeah, the kid's got a heart of gold alright. It's that part of him that can reach even the stubbornness of allies or adversaries. The fact that he has survived injuries that would be the end to any of us in this room is a plus as well." Amagai said as he watched his brother roll the carpet up in his office, activated the trap door, and they all followed him down the stone stairway.

"Yeah, he's one tough kid and has been through more hell in one year than others see in a hundred lifetimes. It's high time that it stopped and was allowed to recharge for a while. I mean, Masaki is gonna have my hide as it is for losing the kids."

"Masaki will understand the situation. For now we must focus on the situation at hand. I also felt the change in my grandson, and now know that the children are indeed somewhere in the Sereitei…" Yamamoto's eyes widened when the stairs stopped and in front of them was like looking at a moment in time. Isshin had created a replica of his father Getsu's Zen garden from so many millennia ago.

"Shin…you recreated Gramps favorite place…" Amagai was nearly speechless. It was like walking into an Eden. "It's like being home again…before…"

"Yeah, Koji, before it all went to hell. This place keeps me centered and it's a piece of home that I still want to remember…" He growled hoarsely as memories of family members long gone hit him hard.

"Yeah, Shin…I miss them all too." Amagai placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Mom, Grams, Gramps, and our baby sisters would have loved your tribute to them."

"This is my way of never forgetting what the Sereitei once was." Isshin slid open the doors to the dojo. "The viewing screen is on the far wall. It's a new addition. I figured that since my secret had been blown that it'd come in handy. Help your self. I've got something to do." He left the dojo.

"Well, Dad, one thing's for certain…He still isn't ready to forgive all just yet."

"He has a viewing pool in the gardens that he keeps in touch with Masaki by. He'd rather her hear this from him than from one of the servants at the Palace." Kisuke activated the screen and in moments they were talking to control.

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Next

Chapter nine

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	9. Chapter 9

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Nine

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

A/N: I typed this during the early morning hours so it might be a little rough around the edges typo wise.

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Ichigo and the others had stopped to catch their bearings that and his current state of appearance wasn't cooperating with the cloak that they had given him to conceal himself with.

Renji threw his arms up in frustration, "Couldn't ya have focused on not having a tail? We're near the main part of the Sereitei now and it's gonna be hell trying ta smuggle ya to a safe place to hide out until we can find a way to change ya back to normal!"

Kirio and Rukia glowered at Renji and Uryū shook his head in disgust thinking that Ichigo would loose it and take out his fury on the idiot.

Ichigo narrowed his golden eyes at his 'big brother'. "Ya know what dumbass! NO! I can't just focus on how my Hollowfication form turns out! That's not the way it works! My transformations are totally random!"

Uryū could sense that his cousin's temper was on the rise and didn't relish a repeat of what had happened in Las Noches. "Renji, leave him alone. Believe me this incarnation is far more controllable than his previous ones. His Las Noches incarnation was tailless, wiry in build, with horns not unlike one would see in a Vastoorode. I'd rank it as a zero level espada class vizard. He had no control over his mind and his vocabulary was limited to a few basic words. He was primal, caveman like, with only one thought to protect the hysterical female at any cost and the hell with anyone around him. Get in his way and he runs you through with Zangetsu for trying to reason with him." Uryū pulled Renji aside to talk to him away from Ichigo's keen set of ears.

"We don't want a repeat of that to happen here, so don't set him off. I've seen him in a berserker rage where his power is off the scales, seen him deflect his opponents ultimate cero attack, as if it were an annoying fly, just with his hands or walk through a level four Espada's final attack like it was nothing. He can rip an opponent apart with his bare hands, fire cero blasts from his horns so powerful that it can decimate an opponent or the surrounding area if he chooses to target it. His Hollowfication forms are triggered by how dire the situation. In Las Noches Ulquiorra had dealt him a fatal blow by blasting a hole clean through his chest. We're talking no lungs, heart, and ribcage all gone. Then he collapsed and Orihime and I thought that he was dead…"

"_No more like my turn to handle it all, cuz as usual he fucked it all up. No big surprise there with him and his fucking 'white knight' streak. The Babe started in with the god-awful waterworks and the ear splitting screeching, which was bad enough. But ta add ta the shit that was already in the fire our darker side was clawing its way out ta do anything ta make her stop with the caterwauling. Me, well, I've got brains. Berserker Freak not so much. It's our primal side to the extreme. Kingie sleeps like a baby the whole time while either of us takes care of business." _Hichigo narrowed his eyes at his cousin._ "Ya didn't learn did ya, big brain. Keep up with your yapping and I just may finish what Berserker started._" He reached back as if to draw his Zanpakutō.

"Hichigo! Enough with the bad ass attitude," Rukia staked over to him reached up to grab a fistful of his long red gold mane, yanked until he had to stoop over in pain, and the two of them were eye to eye. "Wake him up now."

Hichigo tried shaking her loose but she was stronger than she looked. That and her own inner Hollow was mirrored in her eyes. _*So the little pixie isn't that different from us after all. Then again once one becomes a Hollow a part of that person will always carry that with them no matter if they're 'cured or not'. Soul mates in more ways than either of them knew. Well, either way, little pixie, you and I need to get something straight, unlike Ichigo I'm no gentleman.*_

He shoved his mask up off his face so that it wouldn't get in the way of what he had in mind.

Before she even knew what he was up to he was lifting her off her feet kissing her mindless.

_*Ha! That would show the little spitfire that she couldn't order him around and manhandle him like that.* _Then again kissing her wasn't a trial either. He ranked it as beyond an out of this universe kiss. When he felt her kissing him back and her hold on his hair had lessened so that she had her arms wrapped around his neck and was running her hands through it instead of yanking it out by the roots he allowed his own hands to rove her back and wander along her sides.

The result was her springing out of his arms as if he had scalded her with boiling hot water. Her face was flushed, her breathing erratic, and she was glaring daggers at him. "How dare you manhandle me like that!" She seethed.

"_What's the matter, pixie? You started it by yanking on my hair, so it was only fair that I retaliated in kind_." Hichigo grinned wickedly at her. "_It's not like you're cheating on Kingie. Him and me are the same. Besides ya weren't exactly trying ta fight me off either." _

Renji and Uryū stared in disbelief, as far as they knew that side of Ichigo craved violence, but then again that did explain why Kon acted the way he did when he was in Ichigo's body. They also had rarely seen Rukia act like a thoroughly kissed disheveled enraged female, so affected by the kiss that she was spitting like a cat instead of clawing his eyes out.

Kirio quietly observed this fascinating side of her charge. Yes, Hichigo could be infuriating and then in the blink of an eye change to Casanova. Hichigo had to be the channel for all of Ichigo's pent up emotions.

Rukia stalked up to him and jabbed her finger into his chest. "Ichigo is nothing like you!"

"_Ya damn right he's nothing like me! Ichigo's too much of a pansy to deal with anything heavy and that leaves me to take care of it all. So what if he's killed others in battle that's reality_!" He sneered down at her. "_Him and me are the ultimate creation. You, Gramps, and the others can't do shit without us! We handle what you can't or clean up the shit that you Shinigami highbrows create and then chose to disregard or ignore! Brainy there is the Quincy's take on what we are, a blending of Shinigami/Quincy. His flaws being he's too smart for his own good and not knowing when ta zip it_!"

"Hichigo, it's touching how protective you are of him. It shows heart as well as character…" Kirio arched a brow, smiling warmly at him.

"_He's the body_…!" Hichigo sputtered stalking off to brood. "_That's it_!"

Rukia was the one smirking, now that the shoe was on the other foot and it was him that was uncomfortably in the spotlight. "I never thought about it that way, but yes that makes perfect sense. Hichigo has a big brother complex."

He turned around on his heel and glowered down into her highly amused cerulean blue eyes. "_Listen, little pixie, you're pushin' it! Ichigo's got a Lancelot streak that gets him neck deep in shit that he can't handle, so I've gotta pick up the pieces!_" He raked his fingers through his mane in disgust. "_Hell, he's gotten us dead too many times to count! Lucky for us he finally unlocked the ability of 'instant regeneration' or we wouldn't be here today!_" He shoved his mask back down over his face and began to pace in front of her all the while juggling a ball of reddish black flames that he tossed down at Renji's feet.

Renji howled in surprise as his foot was engulfed in reddish black flames. "Shit! What'd ya do that for!" he desperately tried to put his foot out.

"_Well, ya asked for it for being a dumb ass. Be thankful that I chose fire instead of cero_."

Kirio focused on an appropriate Kidō to remedy the situation and a stream of icy cold energy shot from her palm extinguishing the flames. "Young man, that is enough taking out your frustrations on your friends. Lt. Abarai was merely concerned about you and no harm was meant. Uryū is concerned as well."

"_Yeah, well, who asked them ta be_." Hichigo grumbled wisely choosing to not push his luck.

"No one asked them, they all care about Ichigo. Therefore, they also care about you as well." Kirio remained patient with him.

"_All ya need ta know is that I'm there when he can't deal anymore. He has scruples. I don't. That and I have mastery over all of our abilities._" He begrudgingly walked over to kneel down where Renji was checking the damage to his foot. "_Kingie tends to bestow his abilites like he did to Boobalicious after she bought it dealing with her big bro or like he did with Chad, Tatsuki, _Mizuiro, or_ Keigo_."

He held out both hands and a healing golden light effectively repaired any damage that he had caused. There was also a change of energy around him signaling that Ichigo was once again in control. "Sorry about that, big brother. I'd have stopped him, but Great-Gramps wanted to teach me a few things like 'Quiet Eden'."

All of their eyes widened as his cumbersome tail melted away along with his body armor.

"Word of advice, Uryū, never try and reason with me when I'm that far gone. I may not be able to deflect my aim and sliced and diced you very well may be." He wisely chose to focus on his cousin rather than deal with Rukia. He wasn't relishing that little chat and was gonna put it off as long as he could.

"Yes, well, at the time I was more concerned with your mental wellbeing being forever scarred than if you would see me as a threat or not. Inoue wouldn't stop screaming, which was fueling the primal side of your psyche. Then Ulquiorra healed himself again and I saw that I'd made a grievous error in judgment…" Uryū shrugged adjusting his glasses with his finger.

"_I'll do anything ta get her ta stop the annoying decibels and floods of tears_." Hichigo wrestled his way back to say his bit. "_I mean, if she really focused she could reject practically anything that attacks her._"

"She was emotionally distraught not to mention extremely wary of your extreme transformation. She knew that you would never intentionally hurt either of us, but then again you were beyond out of control." Uryū calmly continued their discussion on what Ichigo refused to talk about.

"I know that you weren't in control, so I don't fault you for what happened. In fact you provided me with an upgrade to my abilities that will forever seal the rift between the Quincy and Shinigami clans." He closed his eyes and focused for a few seconds. His Quincy uniform now had acquired a white and blue lined hakama not unlike that of the Shinigami and his silver crystalline bow hung by his side. "You see Zangetsu can't kill innocents, however since I possessed a massive level of reiatsu your power intermixed with mine making us 'blood brothers."

"Yeah, well, then I'm not sorry seeing as ya got an upgrade and all that…" Ichigo rolled his eyes then swore ripely. "Ah hell, no tail means that the horns grow back. It has ta be a defense mechanism or something." He shoved his mask up off his face so that it sat on top of his head. "Now that I like…Shinji and the others can do that too. So is my face back to normal or still all white?"

"It's your face alright, but with black stripes and yeah it's still white." Renji scrubbed at the back of his neck.

"Obviously using 'Quiet Eden' has calmed your mind enough to regain control of some of your Hollowfication transformation." Kirio surmised.

"Yes, but not enough to fight off the effects of the Soul Stealer gems." Rukia walked over to him her eyes shining with loving concern.

"Yeah, well, that's gonna take a lot of time with me being somewhere in a calm place or that's Great-Gramps theory on it anyway." He smiled at her. "No worries okay." He tentatively reached out to touch her hair.

She reacted in kind by putting her arms around him burying her face in his chest.

He awkwardly put his arms around her and tentatively stroked her hair. He looked over a Kirio as if to ask now what do I do. "Hey, it's okay Rukia. If Hichigo did anything that's upset you then…"

"Ichigo, she only wants you to hold her and as for you being yourself again it's going to take time, but you will be you again." Kirio walked over and brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"That's not what's bothering me…" Rukia reluctantly let him go, but her eyes never left his. "I wanted you to have some normalcy and the fates refuse to grant you any peace in your life. Hichigo is a part of you just like you are a part of me." She reached up to touch his cheek. "You brought me back when my own darker side was swallowing me whole and I intend to be there always for you. Nothing and no one will ever be able to break our bond."

"Yeah, we get it. Any more mush and we'll all be seriously ill." Renji rolled his eyes at the two of them. "Leave it to the two of you to find time for romance in the middle of a major crisis."

"She centers him, Renji." Uryū explained for what felt to him like the hundredth time. "Now where exactly is this inner sanctum of yours. I sense that we're about to have company and Ichigo isn't ready to face any of the others yet."

"There is no way that I wanna face anyone." Ichigo frowned. "How do they even know that I'm here anyway?"

"Think for a second, Ichigo. You leak reiatsu like a sieve, so your Grandfather is bound to have sensed your presence by now." Uryū wasn't surprised that there was a search party looking for them. By the amount of reiatsu it felt as if the whole Sereitei was in on the search.

"Renji, the time for stalling is over." Rukia glared at him. "Ichigo was going to find out sooner or later. We need to get out of the catacombs and get him there before he takes out his frustrations on my brother and the others."

"Lieutenant, tell me that you haven't been doing what I think you have." Kirio growled as they all followed Renji to a wall that with a touch of his hand slid away revealing a cavern and a stone staircase.

"It was for him as much as it was for me…" Renji waited until they were all in the cavern then touched the wall again and it slid silently shut. "I mean, he's always coming here anyway and all of it was just going to waste, so I did something useful with it all."

"Where do those stairs lead to anyway?" Ichigo frowned at his very guilty looking 'big brother'.

"It's a place that absolutely no one other than Rukia and a handful of others know about…" Renji headed up the staircase.

"I thought that you had a place in the barracks…" Ichigo followed him up the stairs and up through the trapdoor that Renji had just opened. He was standing inside his dream dojo, but Renji didn't stop to let him take it all in. He just continued across the gleaming polished wood floors and proceeded to open the doors. Outside the dojo was what could only be described as a garden of Zen fit for a prince, and beyond that there was another elaborate building not unlike Byakuya's palatial digs. "Renji, are you borrowing some blue bloods place? If so it's not a good idea. What if they come back and…?" He reluctantly let Rukia drag him outside into the gardens. "Rukia, how can you let him do this…?"

"Ichigo, calm down and it will all be explained to you, all you need to know it's all going to be alright." Kirio said soothingly and then shot Renji a look. "Lieutenant, this place is quite impressive, even if you did acquire it using ill-gotten gains."

"You stole to get this place and you went along with him?!" Ichigo's jaw dropped open. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Well, not exactly stole…more like invested…" Renji couldn't even look at him.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes down at Rukia. "What the hell is going on!?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time…" Rukia blinked innocently up at him.

"Who the hell did the two of you shake down to afford this palace?!" Ichigo shook off the effect that her patented I'm-innocent-as-a-lamb look had on him and demanded an answer.

"No one actually…we just sort of used funds that weren't being used by the person in question and invested it all in this place." Renji sat down on one of the ornate benches.

"Renji, how exactly do you get paid for being a soul reaper?" Uryū asked quietly. "It would take an insurmountable amount of funds to acquire such opulent surroundings."

"It's simple really. A soul reaper is given what is known as a bounty for every Hollow that they defeat. The higher the level of Hollow the larger the payout will be…" Renji shrugged his shoulders giving those around him the impression that it was all no big deal when in truth he was bracing for the worst.

"I see." Ichigo frowned at him. "So you took it upon yourself to take all of the bounty money that I earned from all of the hollows that I fought over this past year and invest it in this place?"

"Renji and I pooled all of our savings along with your own in order to create this place of Zen. It was clear that as much time as you spent here in the Soul Society that it was necessary to have a place where you would be able to safely recharge, heal, or hideout if need be." Rukia hastily explained.

"Well one thing is for sure taking down hollows sure does pay well. This place is great." Ichigo was all smiles now. "I mean it, now give us the rest of the tour and then I'll get to focusing on changing myself back to normal."

"I shall have to explore all of this later, for now I need to go reassure the others that you are no longer in any danger. Retsu, Kensei, Rose, and Love should be able to help find a solution to what is currently ailing you." Kirio informed the four of them.

"I suppose we really don't have any other choice, but just them. I don't feel like seeing any other Captains or anyone else right now." Ichigo sighed in frustration.

"Only Ikkaku, Yumichika, Kira, Hanatarō, and Ganju know of this place and none of them are gonna cave and give it away." Renji growled softly.

"Anyone that can help Ichigo is welcome. The others should all focus on finding the maniac that did this to him and bring him to justice." Rukia said her feelings on the matter.

"Ichigo needs to focus on returning to normal. Anything else shouldn't be priority right now, and the details on his current condition should be need-to-know only." Uryū added.

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Kirio vanished before their eyes.

"Renji, how many rooms does the main house have?" Uryū asked.

"It spreads out into several wings. One for each of us, there is the main common area in the very center, so you could say that this place has something for everyone. The best part being that it's built in an area where it's virtually impossible to sense ones reiatsu. I owe Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko big time for that one. Those guys can build anything they set their minds to." Renji proudly showed off what he considered his masterpiece.

"What did Kūkaku think about you borrowing her subordinates?" Ichigo frowned.

"Uh, she doesn't really know." Renji grinned. "Ganju kept her occupied the whole time that they were working on this place. Believe it or not it took them less than a month to complete this work of art. Like I said those two are amazing."

"What'd ya give Ganju to risk his neck like that?"

"Oh, that one is simple. I just told him that he could crash here when his big sister was on the warpath and he was all for the plan."

"Yeah, that would do it…" Ichigo started up the carved stone steps that led up to the main house and then sensed a presence that made him want to tear someone in half.

"Even dad can't be that much of a moron! How the hell did she get here! Who the hell opened a gate! She's only eleven this is a dangerous place and she has no business being here!" He seethed in fury.

"What the hell set him off this time?!" Renji snarled.

"It appears as if one of the twins has decided to see the Soul Society for herself. My guess would be Karin, as Yuzu is the more docile of the two and would never think of defying anyone." Uryū read between the lines.

"That isn't possible." Rukia frowned. "It takes a ranked officer to open a gate and then he or she would need a hell-butterfly for any occupant that they had with them. Then again Karin has a very close bond with her brother and is also extremely empathic so it makes sense that she would want to go in search of her brother. The question is who brought her?"

"Rangiku has this crazy idea that her Captain has a thing for Karin Kurosaki." Renji smirked finding himself being lifted off the ground by a beyond furious Ichigo.

"Talk!"

"Chill will ya! It's all just talk, Ichigo! She blurted it all out during one of her drinking binges, so it's most likely all hype anyway! He met her back during the Arrancar war before it really got bad. You were off training with Shinji. She was worried about you and had Hitsugaya pegged as a soul reaper. She says that your kid sister nagged him into playing in a soccer match and the two of them struck up a sort of friendship. Hitsugaya actually showed some signs of defrosting or that's what Rangiku got out of it, because the Captain got all pissy about it whenever she ribbed him about it. If anything it's just friendship!" Renji had rarely seen him this furious and having been once been given a taste of his 'little brother's' fury, pre-vizard, wasn't really relishing experiencing it again.

"Ichigo, if the Captain did bring her here then she'll be fine. Hitsugaya is one of the most powerful Captains in the Gotei 13 protection squads. He prides himself in keeping those under his watch safe." Rukia put her hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him down. "You know him. He never takes any risks nor is he one that likes to break the rules. Besides, she's coming into her own power now and like it or not she like you are members of this world's royal family, making this a second home to her as well."

"Her and Tōshirō…well, she doesn't seem like she's in any danger…" Ichigo focused on his sister. "No she seems happy and no way…" His eyes widened when he realized where his sister was. "Mom…she's with…our mother…"

"Well, then in that case she's beyond safe. That palace is inaccessible to anyone except for Zero Unit or in some cases the Captains can access the gate to the Imperial palace, but then that's rare." Renji's eyebrows rose and he whistled low under his breath.

"It seems to me that Aunt Masaki provided Karin with a way to come and find you. It's highly likely and she does watch over you." Uryū finally spoke up.

"She'd still have to have a ranking officer open a gate and it'd have to be a Captain…It looks like Commander-General Yamamoto sent down reinforcements and Hitsugaya must been given the task of keeping an eye on Karin." Rukia frowned.

"Karin can be as stubborn as I am, but he shouldn't have gone and caved like that." Ichigo grumbled. "She's new at this and we still don't know what that maniac Mayuri is up to."

"First things first…" Rukia dragged him with her up the steps. "You need to focus on turning back to normal."

"Rukia, it's my baby sister!" Ichigo protested.

"She's with your mother. You said so yourself."

"Yeah, but how can I focus on being Zen if she's a target too!" He snarled in frustration as he was dragged through the common area and then down a long corridor.

"You don't know that, besides he can't touch her, not if she's at the Imperial Palace, so just shove that all out of your head and practice being Zen!" She slid open a door, shoved him inside the opulent surroundings, and locked him in.

"Rukia!!!"

"Not listening! I'd focus if you ever want to be fed anytime soon."

"Ah man! Like it's that simple! This could take hours if it even works!!" He stalked over to a silk covered futon and threw himself on it.

Rukia slid open the door and stalked inside. "Take a look at that mirror and then think of how Karin would react if you rushed there to check up on her! Your mother is already well aware of this side of you, but Karin wouldn't be able to handle the amount of emotions that are coming off you in waves."

Ichigo sat up and got his first look of his current appearance that alone was enough to sober his attitude. "Yeah, you're right…Sorry that I went off like that…I'm having a really bad day…" He buried his face in his hands.

"We're not faulting you on what you can't control." She sat down beside him on the futon. "You have to regain control again. To do that you have to blank out all of that turmoil in your mind and focus on the calm inside you."

"What if I can't change back?" He groaned then collapsed back on the bed. Not noticing that his mask vanished the instant that his head had hit the pillows.

"Can't isn't a word in your vocabulary." Rukia hated seeing him like this.

"Gods… I'm just so tired of all of this endless shit all the time. I just want a break…" He closed his eyes. He was bone tired not just physically, mentally exhausted.

Rukia got herself situated so that she was propped up by a mound of silk pillows and then reached over so that his head was nestled on a pillow that she had placed over her lap. "I know…and I promise you that you are going to be allowed some peace again." She soothingly stroked his head. "You just rest and focus on being you again and I'll keep you safe."

"Hmmm…that's nice…" He was sound asleep in seconds.

"You will be you again that I promise you." Rukia vowed as he unconsciously snuggled even closer to her.

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Next

Chapter Ten

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	10. Chapter 10

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Ten

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

A/N: I typed this during the early morning hours so it might be a little rough around the edges typo wise.

---------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere hours before back on Earth…

Karin was taking out her frustration by kicking around a soccer ball on the soccer field. "He's gotta be okay! He can handle anything…" She grumbled to herself as she drilled the ball at the net that Jinta was trying to guard as goalie.

Hitsugaya had changed into his gigai and was content to watch over her from the sidelines of the field. She had been at this for the better part of two hours and though he really didn't like Jinta he was beginning to feel sorry for the amount of abuse that Karin was barreling at him with every kick of the ball. She was on her fifth soccer ball and this one wasn't fairing any better than the other four had. It irked him to no measure that something continued to pull at him to comfort the distraught girl before him. She was just a kid not only that but she was of the imperial line making her by Soul Society law untouchable to mere commoners. Captain or not…Prodigy or not she was beyond his reach.

Nevertheless he couldn't take seeing her hurting like this and finally gave into his instincts to try and soothe her frazzled emotions somehow. "Ichigo can take care of himself, so there is no need for you to continue on with this childish tantrum of yours." He said coolly.

Karin narrowed shocking cerulean blue eyes at him. "Who asked you anyway? He's my brother! I'll worry about him if I want to!" She snarled at him.

"It doesn't do any good to worry about something that you have no ability to control." Tōshirō stepped out on to the field.

"Duh! She's a girl. Girls worry about everything." Jinta rolled his eyes at the clueless Captain, as he kicked the ball back into play.

"Gender matters not. It's a waste of energy and gets one nowhere." Tōshirō easily intercepted the ball then proceeded to block any and all attempts that Karin made to get it back.

"Give it back!" Karin gritted her teeth in frustration. It was no use the Captain was better than she was at soccer.

"No. Now focus and take it back yourself." Tōshirō challenged back.

Jinta knew when he was being a third wheel and wasn't about to stand around and watch the two of them circle each other. He was tired, ached like hell, and wasn't in the mood to be a target anymore. "I'm outta here! It's obvious that the two of you wanna be alone!" He left the field stalking off in disgust.

"You're gonna pay for that latter, Jinta!" Karin shouted after him. The nerve of that brat! She couldn't stand this arrogant Captain of Ice and for him to insinuate otherwise was just wrong!

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"Ignore him and focus on getting your ball back." Tōshirō ordered softly. His sea-green eyes sparkled with challenge. "That's if you can."

"Why won't you just go away?"

"Like it or not being a direct descendent of the imperial line makes you a princess, as well as a target."

"I can take care of myself!"

"There is no shame in admitting that you need help. It shows character."

"Look! I've got a lot to deal with, not that some genius child prodigy like you would ever understand!" Karin snarled at him in frustration, digging her fingers into the grass when her attempt to trip him up ended up with her landing on her butt. "I'll bet you've had it easy all your life, Mister Big Shot Captain Ice!"

Tōshirō sighed heavily not wishing to go down that particular memory lane. "You couldn't be further from the truth. I was born in Junrin'an a providence in the First District of West Rukongai, not unlike you're Karakura Town, and left in the care of my Grandmother. I've never met my parents nor do I wish to ever meet them. My Granny was all I needed even though I was a handful. To say that I was a brat is putting it mildly. I was born with so much power that it scared everyone away from me, everyone that was except for Momo Hinamori. I kept to myself mostly because my inner power was always like an untamed animal trying to claw its way free. Momo was all for joining the Shinigami academy, but to me that was all a big waste of time. That however didn't stop Hyōrinmaru from coming to the surface making me a danger to all of those around me. Granny was getting older and frail and Momo seemed to have forgotten all about me." He paused raking his fingers through his spiky snow white hair an amused smirk on his face at the thought of who had turned his life upside-down and then given him a goal to go after. "I met Rangiku Matsumoto …"

Karin couldn't help but smirk, thinking of her brother's description of that particular Soul Reaper. She and Orihime looked like they could be mother and daughter or relation at least. "Boobs that defied gravity with a wicked since of humor, yet not someone that you'd want to underestimate." She murmured softly.

Tōshirō arched a brow at her in surprise, "You got all of that from one brief meeting with my Lieutenant?"

"Yeah, it's no big deal..." Karin shrugged. "I'm kinda good at figuring people out. Sorry that I interrupted please continue it was just getting interesting."

Tōshirō sensed that she was hiding something, but then decided that he could figure that puzzle out later. "Rangiku badgered me into entering the academy. She knew that I was a ticking time bomb…I'd nearly killed the woman who'd raised me because of my lack of control and I was constantly leaking out reiatsu, what we call spiritual pressure. Hyōrinmaru has always been a part of me and was impatient to be free again. He haunted my dreams. Hyōrinmaru's the spirit of my Zanpakutō. He's what can only be described as a gigantic icy blue serpentine dragon and is the strongest ice element Zanpakutō in all of the Soul Society." He said with pride.

"Well, that more than fits you seeing as your name does mean 'son of the heavenly lion' and that could also be a dragon…" He arched a brow at her and she grinned patting the spot beside her. "Sorry…"

"My best friend was already a soul reaper and I didn't want to endanger my Granny or anyone else so I joined the Academy." He sat down beside her leaning back on his elbows. "Not that it was much of a challenge. I graduated from there in one year and then became the youngest Captain in the history of the Gotei 13 protection squads."

"Well, officially maybe but you have to admit that my big brother trumps you in that category. After all, one has to be able to perform Bankai in order to become a Captain and my brother did that in less than three days." Karin couldn't help but rub that bit in.

Again Tōshirō shot her with an intense searching look. "I didn't think that Ichigo was one to confide his war stories to his younger siblings. No he's much too protective over you to do that. So what I wish to know is how you are so versed in the goings on of the Soul Society."

"Oh, I have my ways." Karin pulled her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around her legs. "I guess when it gets down too it that a person doesn't have a choice. Power chooses you the minute you're born and what you want doesn't matter. It claws at you until you admit that its there." She sighed heavily as if the weight of the world was on her young shoulders. "Big brother embraces it all, but to me its just one big migraine."

Tōshirō's shocking green eyes met her own. The two of them weren't all that different and that very fact disturbed him, well, that and he wanted to protect her. It was a feeling that was much stronger than what he felt about Momo. "You can't run from fate, but you can choose to turn what has been given to you into something positive and useful in your day to day life."

She could see the ancient wisdom and power in his seriously amazing sea-green eyes and couldn't even imagine the steps that he had to take just to keep it all in check. Yet he really listened to her and that warmed something inside her making her want to smile.

She tilted her head so that she could really take in the profile of his face. He looked more regal than she did. There was this air of you will respect me or else around him. It should have annoyed her beyond measure, but there was just something about him that made her want to befriend him. She tossed that aside and as it was her turn to spill what was bothering her took a deep breath and confided to him. "Spirits who stalk tend to be really annoying and I just don't have the patience that big brother has with them."

"Ichigo is a rare one alright. Wise as time, but then naïve as an innocent babe…But you…" He scowled irritated by the interruption of the ringing of his cell phone.

"Maybe it's about big brother."

"Perhaps," He took it out of his jacket pocket and answered it. "Rangiku, give me a status report."

Karin watched entranced how he went from wise concerned friend to Captain in a matter of seconds.

He listened intently for several minutes, his eyes narrowing to slits at what was being said. "This is none of Ichimaru's business…I don't care, Rangiku. Our priority is to find Ichigo and the others and then focus on apprehending Captian Kurotsuchi…" He scowled getting up to pace the grass. "Did you say Soul Stealer Gem fragments…Sounds like Kurotsuchi is up to his old tricks again…No! Absolutely not! He stays clear of this! Information or not he's on probation… I don't forgive or forget as easily as the rest of you have! He's got his own agenda, always has and any assistance from him comes with a hefty price! Yeah, well, in your case, Rangiku, love is obviously blind…Tell your husband once a snake always a snake!" He quickly whipped the phone away from his ear, as she proceeded to flame him with her words across the two dimensions. Not wishing to hear anymore he tossed the phone down by his feet.

"Crazy father or not, if I'd have done that I'd have been grounded for a week." Karin arched a brow at him then spoke what was brewing in her mind. "Man and I thought my family was complex. Yours is way more than mine ever has been, I guess you can't really raise a kid properly and still be a Soul Reaper…"

Tōshirō's eyes blazed with fury. "Karin! She is not my mother and Gin Ichimaru is most certainly not my father! Rangiku is my Lieutenant and Ichimaru is the devil himself!"

"Snake comes to mind, but then again he was under the influence of that Aizen creep's Zanpakutō…" Karin ignored his dumbfounded slack jawed look as she got to her feet and retrieved the cell phone.

"Hello. He'll call you back." She smirked when her ear was subjected to a flurry of demanding words, as Rangiku became all protective of her own. "Sorry…He can't talk to you, cuz he's too busy lecturing me. Well, more like glowering at me right now…" Her brows raised as she listened to her response. "Oh really, well, seeing as my big brother is Ichigo, my dad is Shin-ichi, my uncle Amagai, and oh yeah…My Gramps is Yamamoto that would be your Commander and Chief…Your threats mean nothing to me…Hello…Hello…" She frowned down at the phone and then tossed it back to Tōshirō. "She hung up."

Tōshirō plopped back down onto the grass burying his face in his hands. "Why did you have to do that? She has the biggest mouth in the Sereitei. She'll have given everyone the news that our substitute shinigami is in fact the Crowned Prince and that High King Shin-ichi is residing here in Karakura Town. This is most distressing, because if your brother is in the Sereitei he'll most likely receive the hell-butterfly as well…then there very well could be hell to pay."

"It's not news to him, Tōshirō. He's had nearly a month to get used to it." Karin suddenly felt an increase in spiritual pressure and that had her looking all around them. "We're not alone." She hissed at him.

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Tōshirō became instantly alert. "No we are not. The signature is vizard in origin…"

"Big brother's war journals say loads about all of them." She blurted out and he shot her with another one of his searching looks. "Especially of Hiyori Sarugaki…though none of it is worth repeating…She really worked him over during his training to rein in Hichigo." She spied a girl floating upside down just above the goal. "She looks my age just like the drawings in his journal."

"Hey! Spiky!" Hiyori sneered. "Quit robbing the cradle and tell me where Strawberry's at! Shinji ain't answering his frickin cell and I can't sense Strawberry or his goodie-goodie group either. That Chad guy and Boob girl…yeah, the other two no!"

"I like her." Karin grinned.

Tōshirō rolled his eyes. "She's a loose cannon with a…"

"Yeah, a major hate for anyone in your line of work. Me, well, I'm a Quincy. They don't hate or loathe me." She focused on the cross on her wrist and her civilian clothes changed into the Quincy uniform. "Don't worry, Spiky. I'll protect you." She winked at him, laughing at his flushed and very irked face.

"Stay here!"

"No. You stay. I'll go make nice with her. She's a lot like me, so we should get along great." Karin walked towards Hiyori.

"Get back here!"

"Not listening!"

*_Well, well, well, so Captain Genius is stepping out with a little budding Quincette. Won't old man Yama be peeved.* _Hiyori smirked then got a taste of the girl's reiatsu and the smirk turned to a scowl. Her spiritual pressure was off the charts with a similar signature not unlike Strawberry's. Meaning this girl had to be his sister. So he was also of Quincy blood. No wonder he was so off the charts power wise.

"I'm Karin Kurosaki. Strawberry is my big brother." Karin stared up at the girl floating above her head and wasn't the least bit intimidated by the simmering power she sensed from her.

"How is it that Strawberry's baby sister ends up being a Quincy-in-training? Who the hell are your parents anyway?" Hiyori demanded.

"My mother was Masaki Ishida…"

"Four-eyes is your cousin?!"

"Uryū is my cousin, as his father Ryūken is my Uncle. My father is Isshin Kurosaki formally known as Shin-ichi Yamamoto-Genryūsai the High King of the Soul Society. Though that didn't all come out until big brother eavesdropped on a conversation between our Grandfather, Uncle Amagai, and Dad when he snuck up there or over there to see his little brother Amagai formally known as Koji Yamamoto-Genryūsai…" Karin kept her face cool and neutral not acknowledging Hiyori's bug-eyed face.

"Shit!! By the Maker!! No wonder Ichigo is off the charts! He's the frickin Crowned Prince! Wait…Masaki…that's the Empresses…"

"Yeah, my mom…"

"Did he lose it!? Is that why Shorty there is here babysitting you?" Hiyori decided that snide sarcasm was the best way to handle what to her was information overload.

Fire lit up Karin's violet eyes. "No one babysits me or my sister. I don't care if you are my age or over a hundred someone should really teach you how to interact with people. Ichigo might tolerate it, but I won't. You don't know me or my family!" She snarled darkly her hands clinched in fists at her sides.

"Why you, little brat, I've killed little knats like you for mouthing off ta me!"

"You're nothing but a pathetic bully! So what if you've had a crappy life! Get over it! I lost my mom when I was really little! Grand Fisher killed her! It devastated Ichigo, changed him forever, but he never let it fester up and change him into a pathetic bully like you!" She really lit into her.

Hiyori's face flushed red with fury. No one talked to her like this ever! She went to draw her Zanpakutō. "I'd shut up if I were you!"

Tōshirō sprang to his feet and got between the two of them. "That is enough out of both of you! Ichigo would not approve of any of this! Karin's upset because her brother, Uryū, Rukia, and Renji fell into a trap along with Captain Kirio this afternoon! You, former Lt. Sarugaki, are exactly what she described you to be! Your violent tendencies towards your fellow Soul Reapers not to mention blatant unwarranted attacks on your superior officers are highly documented and used as examples of what is not tolerated in the Gotei 13 Protection squads. However much your assistance was essential during the Aizen-Arrancar war, all of your clan have been exonerated."

He locked eyes with Hiyori so that she knew that he meant business. "But if you so much as cause Princess Karin any harm I can assure you that Commander-general Yamamoto, the High King, Ichigo, Captain Amagai, and I will end your pathetic, hotheaded, brash, existence! That you ever made the rank of lieutenant disgusts me! In some ways you are no better than Kenpachi!"

"Take that back! I am nothing like that maniac!" Hiyori seethed just itching to draw her Zanpakutō. "I was a street rat in the 80th district of the Rukongai! I never wanted ta be vulnerable like that again! I never got a chance to be a kid! My parents tossed me away like trash! I ran with a gang of kids. We stole what we needed to get by. Shinji and Love caught me trying to pick Kirio's pocket. I was hungry and Shinigami were always loaded and I was the fastest pick pocket in the whole Rukongai. They saved my life. Lady Kirio took me in, saw the hidden potential in me. I owe her everything. If she's in trouble then I'm going back there to help her and Strawberry!"

Karin suddenly felt like her head wanted to come off. The feeling was so acute and so sudden that she knew that something was wrong with Ichigo. He was off the scales mad, beyond frustrated over something, yet it was like there were two of him and not just one. "Big brother needs me! Tōshirō, can you take me to the Soul Society." She grabbed hold of his jacket, her eyes pleading with him to help her.

"Karin, what makes you think that Ichigo is in trouble?" He turned his focus on her and it killed him to see such pain and anguish shining in her eyes.

"I just do! He's all messed up again! It's like he's two, but not…Oh, who cares how I know he needs me!" She threw her hands up in frustration.

"What do ya mean by him being two but not? He's got complete control, so that ain't possible unless some idiot triggered the change." Hiyori grabbed hold of Karin by her arms and shook her.

"It's like he was a few weeks ago only different. It's not about him having this big mad about Dad lying to him. No. This is about something different." Karin focused her frustration into mentally sending Hiyori flying back into the nearby net.

"Calm down. He's with Renji, Rukia, Uryū, and the Captain of the Royal Guard. He's also a force unto himself." Tōshirō took her by the shoulders. "Now getting upset helps no one and my opening a senkaimon without informing the others is…"

"Blatant rule breaking and Spiky here would never dream of doing that would ya Brainy." Hiyori walked over not the least bit irked that Karin had sent her flying on her ass. This girl had sass and she liked that in anyone. "I'm not a goodie-goodie, so if you can find them I'll take you there. Kiri and Ichigo mean a lot ta me. I'm not about to leave their fate to the Soul Reapers. If what I think has happened they're all out of their league anyway and wouldn't be able to handle him if they tried." She unsheathed her Zanpakutō.

"We're all aware of his inner Hollow. If Captian Kurotsuchi has caused his Hollowfication to occur then Captains Rose, Love, and Kensei would be able to handle reining him in."Tōshirō stated coolly his sea-green eyes narrowed with temper. The little brat was asking for it.

"You owe me, Hitsugaya. Besides, Old man Yama ordered ya ta watch over the little princess right."

"That's not the point it's dangerous."

"She's a frickin Quincy! Hell, a prodigy like her big brother or you! She'll be fine! I saved your ass during the war. You owe me. You owe Ichigo even more. She's also got Shinigami Royal blood running through her veins, so the Soul Society is as much hers as is the human world."

"She's a sensitive. Her mind won't be able to acclimate properly and she'll barely be able to think clearly let alone locate Ichigo." He shoved Karin behind him so that he could go nose to nose with Hiyori.

"Sensitive!" Karin bristled at the thought of being considered a liability. "Yeah, so what of I'm empathic! It won't matter!" she snarled in his ear.

"Shit! That sucks for you! Getting handed that kinda fate!" Hiyori rolled her eyes, not the least bit sympathetic. "But ya gotta learn sometime, so you'll just have to take it and shake it off."

"Hiyori, she gets physically ill!"

"It was just that one time! I've learned to work through all of that!"

"You are ten, a mere infant learning to walk on unsteady legs! Your fledgling abilities are just beginning to emerge…" Tōshirō turned around setting his hands on her shoulders, his eyes ages older than his adolescent appearance.

The wisdom, hardships, power, and emotional turmoil sent Karin staggering backwards away from him, as flashes of images raced through her head compounded by feelings, raw emotions and power barely kept in check. "I don't care…" She gasped. "Ichigo needs me…" She fought back the urge to rub her temples; her head felt like it was going to blow off her shoulders. Tōshirō was so messed up inside, yet he kept such icy cool composure at all times. Never once revealing the chaos of emotions waging war inside his head…Order and reason kept it all in balance and he lived by that mantra to hold back the chaos inside.

Hiyori boxed his ears. "You bonehead! What'd ya wanna do, Brainy! Cause her head to blow apart inside!" She shoved him hard, but he didn't budge. He was too busy reeling over his instant soul bond with Karin. It was staggering and he just stood there staring barely aware of Hiyori's tantrum.

"She's new at this and you go and mind meld with her head!" She went to punch him in the nose and his hand came up lightning fast and blocked her, capturing her fist in his own hand. Before she knew it she was rocketing straight through the goals netting at light speed.

Karin's eyes practically bugged out at what he'd just done. She could see the power radiating around him in icy blue waves, not unlike her brother when he was in a temper. Only he did it all by instinct, as his mind was obviously not all there. She tentatively walked up to him and waved her hand in front of his face. "Um…Tōshirō are you okay?"

He stared blankly at her.

"Well, this is just great! My mind was near meltdown too and do you see me going all catatonic? No! I just slammed down all of my emergency barriers and worked past it." She paced in front of him.

"He's male. They're weaklings for the most part. I mean, all of that attitude is bullshit." Hiyori floated above her head.

"They use it to hide their fatal flaws." She sneered, rolling her eyes in disgust. "Then again ya did kinda blow him away by being able ta link with him as if it were nothin, so the boy's gone into shock."

"Grudge or not. Vizard or not. You aren't gonna beat on my friend while he's gone all 'fire bad tree pretty' right now!" Karin's eyes darkened to deep purple and an aura of cerulean blue energy radiated around her body. "You will leave him alone and cool it or I'll make you sorry that you didn't!"

"Aw! You're crushin on Captain Brainy! Ain't that sweet! Stop I'll get cavities!" Hiyori was rolling with laughter.

Karin formed her bow and shot her in the ass with an arrow. "He's my friend and it has nothing to do with me crushing on him!"

Hiyori yelped in surprise rubbing her derriere to soothe the stinging pain. "You are so gonna pay for that, princess!" Here eyes narrowed to slits, her teeth gritted in pent up fury. "No one does that and lives!"

"Bring it on, snaggle tooth! Ichigo and Dad aren't the only ones in my family that know how to kick ass and I'll do it using my bare hands too!" Karin raised her fists and got ready to do combat.

Hiyori launched herself at her both fists outstretched to land the first blow. "You're outta your league, princess brat!"

Karin countered with a flying kick to Hiyori's face, a move the former lieutenant wasn't expecting and found herself the recipient of a broken nose. "Oh, I'm shaking. I'm so scared! Not!"

She immediately followed that with a punch to Hiyori's jaw sending her spiraling into the air straight into the truck of a nearby tree. "I'm Karakura Red! You don't frighten me in the least! Now we're wasting time, so are you in or do ya want some more. Cuz…I'm just warming up!"

"Oh, it's on! You little pain in the ass!" She wiped the blood from her face. This brat was steaks.

"Grow up! All being a bully does is makes you look pathetic and desperate for attention. If you tried to be nice for a change you might just find that people will want to be your friend! But go ahead and try your damndest, cuz I know all of your moves! Big brother keeps a combat journal!" Karin snarled up at her.

"ENOUGH!" Tōshirō roared at the two of them.

That more than got their attention.

"This adolescent tantrum is over! All that you both have accomplished is alerting the others to your antics and that is something that I do not wish to deal with right now!" He opened up a senkaimon with Hyōrinmaru.

"Both of you in that gate now or we return to Karin's residence and have the Commander-General and High King sort the two of you out!" He ordered darkly using a Kidō spell to knock Hiyori out of the tree.

Hiyori landed hard on her rear. Blood streamed from her nose, her left eye was black and blue and nearly swollen shut. She glared murderously at Karin from her good eye.

"Don't even think about it, Sarugaki. Karin's more than proven that she can beat you in a fair fight." Tōshirō had ditched his gigai and Hyōrinmaru breathing icy streams of fire was curled protectively around Karin.

"Um…nice ice dragon…" Karin shivered, but not from the icy cold. This dragon's eyes matched perfectly with his wielders.

_:Fear not, little one. What my wielder cherishes is mine to watch over as well_: Hyōrinmaru growled softly in her head.

Karin's eyes widened as big as saucers and her violet eyes mirrored her startled state of being. Her rapport with all living things worked on ancient spirits as well. Now that cherish part that was a no touch subject. She was ten. He was way older than her. Friendship was fine, soul bond or not she was ages away from anything beyond that.

_:Friends…Your wielder and I are friends. Ichigo, that's my big brother, wouldn't go for anything else and may harm your wielder in a fatally serious way.:_ She tentatively answered back, ignoring Tōshirō's alarmed look that she was able to talk with his familiar. "Chill out, Tōshirō. I also have empathy with all creatures alive or dead."

:_Ah yes, the young prince. My wielder and I have felt his wrath before when my wielder was undergoing a trying ordeal. The young prince saved him and for that I am eternally in his debt, as is my wielder.:_ Hyōrinmaru seemed amused yet unafraid.

"Karin, it is extremely rare for anyone other than the wielder of the Zanpakutō to be able to converse or interact with the spirit within the sword." He growled softly, as he tended to Hiyori's wounds using medicinal Kidō.

She was also stunned speechless. "Not another one…Tell me is she the last or is there a third?"

"She has a twin sister. However, where Karin has a fiery spirit like her brother. Yuzu has a nurturing one not unlike her mother." Tōshirō answered in a low tone as not to set off Karin again.

"Thank the Creator for that miracle. One is bad enough, but two more now that's overkill." Hiyori let out a sight of relief. "All in all I like her and so does your dragon." She snickered.

Tōshirō refused to comment on that. "Just go through the gate before things get complicated."

"Like it ain't complicated now?" She grinned then held up her hands in truce when he glared murderously at her. "Just kidding. Hey Karin. Let's go find Strawberry before you cause the Captain ta go tilt again." She walked over to the young girl finding herself eye to eye with the dragon. "Truce. She's got spunk. I respect that, so she's alright with me. No harm no foul. If I had human/spiritual female friends she'd top the list."

:It's okay, Hyōrinmaru. Go back to sleep until he needs you again. We're just gonna go find my brother, cousin, and their friends.: She reassured the dragon and he returned to his wielder. "Friends is better than enemies, now let's go." She headed towards the gate.

Three hell-butterflies fluttered out of it signaling that someone had cleared the way. The three of them stepped inside and it closed behind them.

Just as Chad arrived at the field. "Ichigo's dad isn't gonna like this." He turned around and headed back to the clinic.

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Next

Chapter eleven

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	11. Chapter 11

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Eleven

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

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The Imperial Palace

"Wow! So this is where big brother goes off to all the time." Karin's eyes took in the lush Imperial Gardens surrounding them. "It's like stepping back in time…" She took off across the bridge that the gate had opened on.

"You dumbass!!" Hiyori hit Tōshirō on the back of her head with her sandal.

Tōshirō didn't even flinch.

"This is not the Sereitei! We're in beyond off-limits territory!! How the hell could you, a Junior Captain, even access an Imperial gate anyway?" She hissed at him. _*Had her Intel on him been that far off? Was this kid also of noble blood?*_

"Calm yourself, Sarugaki. Nothing occurs without a viable explanation." Tōshirō said quietly, his tone and face giving away nothing.

"Calm myself! Our heads are on the line and you're cool as ice about it!! We can't be here! To look upon even this garden is beyond taboo!" She paced the length of the bridge.

"Yes, I am well schooled in the workings of all of our by-laws, Sarugaki." His eyes flashed with irritation. Karin was no longer within his sight. "Your annoying babbling has caused me to lose sight of Karin." He stalked down the bridge as if this situation was nothing more than an annoyance for him.

"My babbling!? Look Bub! I do not babble! Facts are facts, Brainy! We're in it deep, cuz you ain't thinking straight! All because of the little princess!" She poked him hard between his shoulder blades. "And now you've gone and lost her too!!"

Tōshirō ignored her useless ranting and focused on Karin's spiritual pressure. He convinced himself that what he was sensing was reiatsu and had nothing to do with any matter of bond with her. "She's following the path."

"Oh great, she'll be caught for sure, but then she's the princess so maybe they'll just bow." Hiyori grumbled under her breath.

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"Guys, you have to see this! It's amazing! I'm seeing home at least I think its home! It looks like Dad and man is he really mad." Karin was kneeling in front of her mother's viewing pool. "I've never seen him this steamed before…" She sensed someone watching her.

"Guys…"

She turned and lost the ability to speak. Her mother was standing behind her. Tears welled up in her eyes and she threw herself into her mother's outstretched arms.

"Mom…"

"Oh sweetie, I've missed you so much." She crooned as she lovingly held her little girl in her harms.

"I missed you too, Mom. Dad's lost without you, but we take care of him. Yuzu's a little mother always nurturing everyone. Ichigo's our protector. He and Dad have a really strange relationship, though it all makes sense now that the truth is out…" She snuggled closer reveling in being held by her again. Then it donned on her that she was garbed in imperial silks and jewels. "So it's true…Dad really is the High King?" Wide violet eyes met gentle amber ones.

"Yes, sweetheart, your father is the Soul Society's 'High King'." Masaki led her over to one of the elaborate benches that bordered the viewing pool and the two of them sat down on the luxurious silk pillows. "He gave all of this up. His family, friends, everything he knew to be with me."

"So it really is all just an act, so that he doesn't give his true identity away?!" Karin jumped to her feet to pace in front of her mother. "All this time he's known what Ichigo was going through! Kept acting like a big dumb goofball!! Like he didn't care at all what Ichigo did! Treated him more like a kid brother than like his only son! And all because he was hiding from Grandpa!" She threw her hands up in disgust.

"Angel, your father and Ichigo clash because they're very much alike."

"Alike!? Mom, those two are polar opposites!" Karin gaped at her like she was insane.

"No…Honey, they really aren't. Ichigo and Isshin both have stubborn streaks that span the universe. Yet their patience is virtually limitless at times. They both hate to lose at anything, are very protective of those that they love. The two are highly intelligent, fierce warriors who have both suffered endlessly over unnecessary guilt and pain over the circumstances leading to my death…" Masaki patiently corrected her daughter.

"Yeah, Ichigo went all dark and broody. While Dad sat back and let it all play out. Boy, he sure made a mess out of everything."

Masaki reached out and pulled her down onto her lap. "No one is saying otherwise, my darling girl…" She glanced up and saw Tōshirō and a very nervous Hiyori standing only a few feet away. "Welcome. Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya and you also Hiyori Sarugaki." She smiled warmly motioning the two of them to step forward.

Tōshirō got down on one knee making sure to keep his eyes focused on the ground and bowed before her. "A thousand apologies, majesty…"

Hiyori got down on her knees and bowed keeping her eyes downward. "Yeah, um, what he said."

"Both of you have kept my son alive in one way or another, so you are welcome here. There is no need for formalities. Now between you and me that old tradition of not being able to look at me is archaic and I don't believe in it. I had Ami arrange for the senkaimon gate to bring you here instead of to your friend Lieutenant Momo Hinamori in the Sereitei." She had to bite back a giggle when the two of them looked up at her with such startled shock in their eyes and faces. "Now perhaps the two of you can aid my Karin and me in helping our Ichigo." She asked in a soft musical voice.

"Majesty, I am at your service. Karin…I mean…" Tōshirō was mortified that he had started to address Karin as if she were just a close personal friend and not the daughter of the reigning royal family.

"Don't mind him. He kinda soul bonded with the little princess there not even an hour ago and is still reeling from it." Hiyori smirked ignoring his and Karin's murderous glares. "I'm not nearly as stuffy as he is, but then again I'm not the youngest to make Captain in the history of the Gotei 13 either. It's tough being a genius. Anyway, we're here because Strawberry…That's my nickname for Ichigo…needs us and the spitfire there claims that she can find him using their link or something." She shrugged.

"Karin has always shared a close bond with her brother. She was born with the gifts of the mind and her strongest gift is an empathy with all living beings around her. Now a gift such as this one was overwhelming for such a little girl, so much so that she couldn't possibly understand losing me the tragic and sudden way she did. Then to add to that shock to her fragile psyche she had to feel all of the emotional turmoil from those around her especially her twin sister, father, and brother." Masaki cuddled her closer and set her chin on her head. "So that terrified little girl chose to fight her gifts instead of embrace them. She locked them away were they wouldn't hurt her ever again or so she thought. However, her power was too great to keep locked down indefinitely and as she grew it clawed its way back to the surface. Becoming more and more apparent to her because of her older brother's dealings with those of the Soul Society and it's because of this that she has decided to embrace what was given to her and learn to master it just like her big brother is learning to master his own abilities."

"Are we talking every power of the mind? Like Telekinesis, Telepathy, and all that junk that goes with that stuff?" Hiyori was now lounging on the bench across from them.

"No Sarugaki. She's talking about Karin's ability to throw a proper tea ceremony! Of course she's talking about her powers of the mind!" Tōshirō muttered darkly. This new enlightenment about Karin was beyond information overload. He knew himself from experience that powers of the mind were at times a curse more than a gift. That Karin possessed the whole array of them was mind boggling to say the least. It was a miracle that she had managed to teach herself how to function around others. The mental static alone must be deafening for her, unless the mental barriers were already that strong in her mind.

"Mom, he was mentally frazzled enough as it was and now he'll go all catatonic again." Karin rolled her eyes.

"The soul bond can cause ones mind to overload itself if one is not ready for such a shock. Then again no one is ever ready for such an experience and few people ever get the chance to discover it themselves." Masaki sympathized with the young Captain.

"It was never my intention for such a situation to occur while I was trying to reason with your daughter…"

"Captain, there things that can't be controlled nor can such things be pushed aside as if nothing monumental has happened. There is nothing for you to be ashamed of nor is there reason for you to be apologetic about it. You are a very honorable and trustworthy young man and I know that Karin already sees you as someone whom she wants to be, shall we say, the best of friends with for now…" She laughed when the two of them couldn't believe how calmly she was viewing this incredibly complex situation. "Ichigo has already chosen Rukia or is it the other way around…no matter, it seems fitting that Karin has found that kind of bond in such a fine young man as well…"

"What the hell do you mean by that, Masaki?! Karin's eleven there is no such bond!" Isshin's voice growled from the shadows.

Karin jumped out of her mother's arms and got in front of Tōshirō. "Crap, he really was watching from that pool over there! Don't worry, Tōshirō. I'll protect you."

"Stay behind me, Karin. I'll handle this myself." Tōshirō pulled her protectively behind him.

"But he's really steamed right now and…"

"I will take care of it."

"Oh yeah... Now you're gonna get it." Hiyori grinned as she sat back to watch the show.

"Isshin Kurosaki! It is rude to skulk in the shadows! The two of them are soul bonded and there is nothing you can do about it, however you can and will trust him to be a complete gentleman around our daughter. It's not in his character to be anything else and he'll be the perfect balance for her. The two of them are friends and newly ones at that so you will be nice or you will go back home!" Masaki stalked over and dragged him by the ear out into the light.

"Hey!! Alright!! I'll behave just lay off the earlobe!" He yelped in pain as she dragged him with her back to the benches. "Come on, Ishida! This is bad form!"

She finally let go of his earlobe and he retaliated by pulling her into his arms and kissing her till her toes curled and her mind shut down.

"Come with me, kids." Amagai cleared his throat when the two of them still hadn't come up for air and stepped out into the sun. "We'll leave the two of them alone for awhile and in the meantime we'll find my niece something fitting to wear while she's here visiting the Soul Society. Miss Sarugaki should know that Shinji is currently flirting with the enchanting Ami and wishes a word or two with you about instigating a brawl with my little niece."

"How the hell does he know…?"

"Jinta was watching from the shadows and filled Chad in on everything that went down on the soccer field. It must be very humbling to be defeated by a girl a hundred years younger than you are." Amagai arched an amused brow at her.

"Don't start, Uncle Koji. We're friends now and that was between the two of us." Karin growled.

"Very well, Karin. I will drop it for now." Amagai walked over and scooped her up into his arms. "Tōshirō, you're going to need to contact the Sereitei. Momo is quite distraught that you didn't come through the senkaimon that she arranged for you and Rangiku is beyond that."

"Momo and Rangiku worry too much." Tōshirō muttered under his breath, leading the way up the path to the portico.

There Yamamoto, Shunsui, Jūshirō, Kisuke, Ryūken, and Chad were all sitting on silk cushions around a large outdoor table where Yuzu and Orihime were both happily serving them all tea while they awaited the arrival of the others.

Yama wasn't very pleased with him and the others were just being their usual laid back selves.

The difference being that Jūshirō seemed completely cured an entirely new man.

_*Inoue must have been successful in her attempts to heal him.*_ "I can explain, sir…" He immediately addressed his superior.

"Sit down, Captain Hitsugaya." Yama ordered softly his eyes veiled, a sure sign that he was in a temper. "And you as well, Former Lt. Sarugaki."

"I'll stand thanks." She folded her arms across her chest glaring defiantly at him.

"Sit your boney little ass down, Hiyori!" Shinji ordered her in a sharp tone his eyes told her that he meant business. "You're already in it up to your neck for brawling with the little spitfire. Don't make it worse by being a snot nose brat over being asked to sit down on a frickin pillow!"

"Can I have a say here! She and I have come to an understanding!" Karin wriggled out of her Uncle's arms, landing cat like on her feet. "We're friends now and it was a mutual decision to brawl with each other!" She planted her hands on her hips glaring defiantly at her elders. "Tōshirō was her original target, but then he wasn't really capable of…"

"Karin! Be quiet and Sit down!" Tōshirō ordered sharply.

"No! I am only telling my Gramps what's what! You were in 'fire bad tree pretty' mental shutdown and Hiyori was taking advantage of that it! I wasn't gonna just stand there while she whaled on you like that for nothing! I'm Karakura Red! I'm a Quincy! I can sure as hell hold my own in a fight, which I did by giving her back a taste of how she treats others!" Karin glowered down into his icy sea-green eyes, her eyes shined with hot angry tears. "Just because you're sore at me for speaking my mind about who I think your parents are or that the two of us may or may not have soul bonded or whatever is no reason to be all ratty with me!"

"Karin!!" Yuzu hissed at her sister. "Behave!"

"Stay out of this, Yuzu! It's between him and me!" Karin snarled.

Tōshirō couldn't have been more mortified if he wanted to. All eyes were on him now to see how he would react to her blatant defiance. He took a deep calming breath reached up and pulled her down to sit on the pillow beside him.

He took her chin in his hand, speaking in a firm gentle tone. "Calm down, making a spectacle of yourself is not the proper way for a young girl to act. Your active imagination is working overtime. Rangiku is not my mother nor is Ichimaru my father. The odds are that my parents died and that is why I was left in care of my Grandmother. You are clearly distraught over this situation with your brother and also are trying to deal with what appears to be our soul bond. I appreciate your wishing to protect me while I was otherwise unable to do so, but that is no cause for you to throw this tantrum in front of your elders. I am a Captain and will face any repercussions that my bringing you here with me to the Soul Society may fall upon me."

"This was all my idea…" She sniffled in frustration, a single tear spilled down her cheek and onto the pad of his thumb. "It's not fair that you be punished for it."

Tōshirō brushed away the next tear; it was tearing him up inside seeing her like this and all because she didn't want him to be in trouble. "I've been in worse situations. This one is minor compared to those. Now dry those tears before your father returns with your mother and challenges me to a duel."

That got a weak smile from her. "Yeah, my dad can get all crazy like that and I have seen my dad in all of his Shinigami glory. He's more than a match for big brother and his familiars are a dragon and phoenix. The element of fire would more than counter your own element of ice…" She nervously worried her bottom lip with her front teeth. This side of him. The gentle caring side was making her nervous.

"Karin, it is clear in my eyes that Tōshirō bringing you here with him to the Soul Society will only help in rectifying your older brother's current state of being. Therefore, I see no reason why I need to reprimand him in any way. It is also clear that the two of you have soul bonded with one another, a situation that had begun the day that the two of you first met. Tōshirō is my most trustworthy Captain and I can think of no better match for my granddaughter, as I can think of no better match than Rukia for my grandson. The two will provide balance in each of your lives." Yama said in his soft wise as time voice, his golden eyes open showing such pride in the two of them then zeroed in on Hiyori. "Hiyori and my granddaughter are both similar in nature and it was only natural for the two of them to clash with one another before forming a friendship of sorts. So I see no reason for me to reprimand her for her actions against my granddaughter. It is clear that Karin was the winner of that clash of wills and for that she has earned Hiyori's respect. Lessons were learned by all involved and that alone makes the three of you better for it."

"Dad, I think they get the point." Isshin casually lounged against one of the intricately carved pillars, his arm around Masaki's waist. "As long as the kid behaves he'll get no grief from me. Now let's eat the feast that Yuzu prepared for us and while we're at it get down to brainstorming a way to get my kid back to normal again."

"Mom!!" Yuzu zoomed over to hug her mother.

"Sweetie, this looks wonderful." Masaki hugged her fiercely, her eyes taking in the two newcomers. "You must be Orihime and Chad. It's a pleasure to finally meet you both in person. Thank you so much for saving my son's life with your never-ending friendship."

"Um, it's really nice to meet you too, but Ichigo saved our lives and because of that we've all become really close friends." Orihime smiled at Masaki.

"He's like family to us…" Chad growled softly. "It's…um nice to meet you too…"

She found it amusing that someone so big could seem so shy and was easily charmed by Orihime. "Well, from now on as of today the two of you are officially part of this family. Now shall we eat? The sooner we finish the faster I can get to my baby. He needs me, although right now I seriously doubt if Rukia will let any of us near him." She sighed leaning back against Isshin. "They grow so fast…"

"Tell me something I don't already know…" Isshin sulked as he took in the sight of his baby girl and Tōshirō.

"You are over dramatizing as usual, Kurosaki." Ryūken growled softly, and then focused on his little sister. "Masaki, you look well."

"Ry, it's so good to see you. We have much to talk about and we will, but for now let's eat, as I said my baby needs me." Masaki smiled at her big brother.

"I assure you, sister, to my nephew, I have no doubt in my mind that this situation is a mere setback in his mind and he will soon rectify the situation. It's amazing that he's turned out as fine a young man as he has with his father being a complete failure at parenting and that."

"Hey! You aren't father of the year either my friend! The two of us both screwed up with our boys, but now we have a chance to change that." Isshin shot back in his defense.

"Agreed, Isshin…" Ryūken gave him that point.

"Children, can you at least behave long enough for us to finish this lovely meal and go see to the kids or are you two going to banter like juveniles all evening?" Masaki narrowed her eyes at the two of them daring them to say another word.

"You win, sister."

"Yeah, babe, we'll be good." He sat down pulling her down beside him.

"Good." Masaki smiled at the others. "Sorry about that the two of them can be such children sometimes, but I assure you that as a team when the chips are down and there are battles to be won the two of them are quite impressive. The boys take after them in that aspect. Now girls tell me all about what you've been up to and spare no details." She winked at her daughters.

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Underground caverns

Nemu stood just outside the Soul Stealer Gem cage staring down at the shards scattered all over the ground and embedded in the walls. She had waited until the others had left to have her people start gathering up all of the shards. "We need to gather every last piece. Leave no shard behind." She ordered them.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, it's gonna be nearly impossible to recover every shard. More than half of them are slag and the rest are embedded into the stones around us." Akon stated the obvious.

"Yeah, Lieutenant, besides we've already gathered up enough evidence here for the investigation." Rin Tsubokura was on his knees collecting the shards.

"Just do as I say or Captain Kurotsuchi will use all of you as a subject for one of his experiments." Nemu answered quietly.

"You can't be serious! He's going to be sent back to prison for sure for this one! All of our readings, every last one leads back to him setting this all up for Kurosaki and not only is that taboo, but the kid turned out to be the crowned prince!" Akon couldn't believe her loyalty. Creator or not boss or not Kurotsuchi was going down for this one.

"I am your superior officer and you will do as I say." Nemu was holding a larger piece in her hands, reflected inside the piece was a piece of her master. He had melded into the wall to observe every step of his ultimate experiment and had gotten caught up in the aftermath. She wasn't even certain that she could successfully extract the pieces of him so that he could eventually meld himself back to solid form again. He was her master, her creator so she had to try.

"Fine, Nemu, but this is insanity. We've already collected the necessary data for the investigation. This is overkill." Akon muttered.

"Nemu, he couldn't possibly have survived." Rin's limitless mind had already figured out what she was trying to accomplish. "If he did indeed manage to liquefy his body the cero would have surely fused any of that essence into the crystals themselves. And even if we could gather up the larger of the pieces containing that essence it still wouldn't be enough nor do I think he could survive the extraction process intact. He might end up with no arms or no legs."

"Worse yet no head. The outcomes are endless. Besides, after what he's done that's if he survives he'll be stripped of his rank, limited, and thrown back into 'The Maggots Nest' to rot for eternity. He's attacked and most likely caused irreparable damage to the crowned prince for that his fate is sealed as is his death. No amount of his liquidation, poison immunity, or regeneration techniques cloning parts of his body will save him. Nor will you be able to save your master, Lt. Nemu." Rin elaborated even more.

"Nevertheless, I have to try…" Nemu said softly.

In the shadows their conversation is being overheard by Lieutenant Mia of Zero Unit. Her own natural ability to blend in with her surrounding provided her with a means of crippling the madman once and for all. She had several key pieces to the puzzle that was Mayuri and had no intention of ever giving them back. She flash stepped to rendezvous with the others.

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Renji paced the common area in frustration, Rukia wasn't letting either of them near Ichigo and it had been hours since he'd crashed in his rooms. "Ya know, Uryū. We've gotta figure out a way past Rukia before we're invaded everyone. I can't just stand here and lie to his parents! He's the High King and she's the Empress…Queen or whatever ya wish ta title it and a Shinigami/Quincy in her own right! Add Old man Yama and Captain Amagai to the mix, not ta mention the Captains, and the rest well it's just one big migraine!" He threw his hands up in frustration.

"Relax Renji. She's just extremely worried about him right now, even more so since the two of them have become as Orihime would say, an item." Uryū casually drank his tea, as he relaxed in the common area. "She's not able to just tuck all of her feelings away anymore and this situation with him is testing all of her emotional control. Point being you're Shinigami uniform being torched for just stepping foot in Ichigo's rooms or my own Quincy/Shinigami uniform getting severely singed when I attempted to bring her tea and something to eat." He pointed out their wearing traditional kimonos rather than their usual uniforms as a reference to facing Rukia's protective wrath.

"You'd think that he was dying or something the way she's acting." Renji snorted.

"Renji. This change was far from normal and none of us know what the repercussions are from Ichigo's forced Hollowfication. Neither of us wants to admit that in truth his transformation was not unlike what occurred in the Espada…"

"Shut up! Don't you even think along those lines, Uryū!! I don't wanna even go there!" Renji all but roared at him.

"Renji, facts are facts!" Uryū narrowed his eyes at him, adjusting his glasses with his finger, a clear sign that he was getting irritated with someone. "He should have changed back by now! It has been hours since his transformation and he has still been unable to return to his human appearance!"

"Yeah, so what that doesn't mean that it's permanent! He wouldn't be able to return back to the world of the living!"

"Urahara could devise a gigai so that he could return home. It's his forte after all." Uryū stated patiently.

"Oh, yeah, and we both know how he feels about that…" Renji muttered.

"Renji, the greatest minds are all working towards a solution to Ichigo's 'condition' let's focus on that being successful." Uryū sighed.

"The Hōgyoku doesn't exist anymore that's unless Urahara has another which I doubt and that could be the missing piece to this beyond complex puzzle!"

"Or it could just be a matter of Ichigo focusing on the calm inside him…"

"Yeah, like that seems to be working! It's been hours…."

"It could be a matter of days or longer for him to be able to focus …"

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A Hell-butterfly, causing Renji to come to complete attention, interrupted their discussion.

_The Commander-General Yamamoto, his sons, daughter-in-law, granddaughters, the father of savior Ishida, saviors Inoue, and Chad. Captains Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Kyōraku, Unohana, Aikawa, Otoribashi, and Muguruma along with Former Captains Urahara and Hirako, and former Lieutenant Sarugaki will all be arriving in the space of no less than one hour's time. Be prepared to render your full report on the situation and current condition of the Crowned Prince at that time. Urahara and Hirako will then decide what actions need to be taken. The residence of Crowned Prince Ichigo and his fellowship will remain out-of-bounds to all unauthorized visitors, unless special authorization is given. The Royal Family has decreed privacy and it shall be enforced by Zero Unit. Any objections are hereby denied….That is all…_

----------------------------------------------------

"Sonofabitch! A frickin report on this!? In less than a goddamn hour?! The old man must be supremely pissed. Zero Unit!? Here!! Well, at least we'll have complete privacy…" Renji swore fluently as he paced the gleaming high polished wood flooring.

"Who's going to inform Rukia…?"

"You! I have a blasted report to see to!" Renji stalked down the corridor leading to his wing.

Uryū reluctantly headed off towards Ichigo's wing.

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Rukia continued to soothingly stroke Ichigo's head as he continued to sleep peacefully in her arms. It had been hours, yet the only change…only sign that he was reining his inner Hollow in were the little details in his appearance.

Like for instance his hair was nearly back to normal except for a few streaks of silvery white through it…

His hands and feet were also back to normal; no tiger like stripes marred his ghostly complexion. In short, he resembled Hichigo to a T. All of these changes had occurred rapidly within the first two hours, but many more hours had passed and there was no further sign that he was returning to normal.

This greatly worried Rukia.

"You are doing so well, Ichigo. Just a little more and you'll be you again…" She whispered softly as she continued to stroke his hair.

"I'll try and do better coach…" Ichigo opened one golden eye to look up at her.

He yawned, blinking owlishly up at her as she came into focus. He would have sat up, seeing as she was holding him, but Rukia didn't seem to want to let him go.

"Lie still. Rest." She ordered softly keeping a firm hold when he tried to sit up.

"Rukia, I need to move. You much be one big ache, being like that for…" He noticed that it was dark out. "Geez…hours…"

"No. I'm fine. You…you…need…to…to…" Rukia's eyes filled, her breath hitched, as she wrestled back the wave of emotions threatening to burst free.

"Rukia…" His eyes widened in alarm. He could feel what was going on in her mind, as if her pain was his own. _*Gods, like I needed that revelation now!*_

He reached up to brush a tear from her cheek. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. I'll beat this like I do everything else." He said softly.

She buried her face in his hair. "I'm sorry…Just give me a minute and I'll be fine…" She whimpered shakily.

This was a side that Rukia rarely showed anyone and their bond was giving him what felt like a kick to the gut. She was this wigged out over him and seeing her in this much pain was just killing him.

"Shhh…" He gently pried her fingers from his kimono, so that he could maneuver enough to have her curled up against his chest. "Go ahead. Get it all out. You'll feel better for it." He soothingly smoothed her hair.

Rukia completely broke down sobbing, burying her head against his chest. "No! I can't…its foolish…You…I need to focus on you…You need me to be strong…"

"Hey, you're kidding me right?" Ichigo continued his soothing tone and gentle stroking of her head. Her sobs were just killing him inside.

"You're one of the strongest people I know. Hell, even I need to give in and have a good cry sometimes. Besides, you're female it's your god's-given-right to bawl or lose it anytime ya feel the need." He sighed, staring up at the skylight above the bed.

"Hell, me...well, I'm a guy…our code is so strict when it comes to crying that…Rukia?"

She had cried herself to sleep in his arms.

He piled pillows behind him and got comfortable.

Yes, he was starving and his throat was as dry as the desert, but she was priority right now. She'd watched over him, now it was his turn.

"Sleep now, Rukia. I'll be the strong one for both of us." He gently kissed the top of her head.

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Next

Chapter twelve

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	12. Chapter 12

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Twelve

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

A/N: I use : : for silent communications between characters otherwise known as telepathy.

Or

I use * * to depict a characters private thoughts.

---------------------------------

A soft knock on his doors followed by Uryū whispering, "Rukia. I don't mean to face another bout of your wrath for disturbing the two of you, but something has come up that you need to…"

"It's alright, Uryū. She's asleep." Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle.*What_ in the world had she done to those two? He sounded like a scolded puppy.*_

"You can come in if ya want. Just try not to awaken her alright."

Uryū slid open the doors so that he could enter with the tray of sustenance for him. He stealthy made his way over to his cousin. Ichigo was awake and very nearly himself again, minus the ghostly white complexion and silver streaked hair. He seemed alert, recharged, and in 'protect what's his mode'. "I've brought you something to eat. There is some food, tea, and a carafe of water."

"You're looking pretty festive, Uryū." Ichigo arched a silver streaked brow at his change of clothing, not to mention singed state of appearance. It was clear that he had attempted to camouflage the effects of facing Rukia's wrath, but it was clear as day to Ichigo's sharp eyes.

"Uh, thanks for the food and stuff. Just set it on the other side of me, uh, please."

"You're welcome." He set the tray down next to Ichigo. "As for my current attire it seemed fitting to blend in while we're here in the Sereitei." He took a seat on the floor beside the futon.

"Yeah, _shakkahō_ is a bitch isn't it when it's directed at you." Ichigo smirked, as he proceeded to devour the food in front of him using one hand, as his other was still holding the sleeping lioness.

"Then again that's a far cry from _byakurai, sōkatsui, _or the limitless other not so nice Kidō spells in her arsenal." He calmly sipped his tea, "So is Renji still in one piece?"

"Renji is still intact." Uryū tiredly took off his glasses so that he could rub his eyes and the bridge of his nose. "She made it crystal clear that neither of us was to disturb you. However, seeing as we are about to be descended upon by our family…"

"Yeah, I know that they're all here. I felt them arrive. Uncle Ryūken must be really worried to come here with the rest of them. Then again he probably had no choice, seeing as everyone was going anyway." Ichigo sighed heavily. "I think I'm stuck like this, Uryū…"

Uryū's brow furrowed as he took in Ichigo's defeated look. "Healing of this magnitude takes a considerable amount of time. Ichigo, you are healing. This wasn't a natural change, it was forced upon you, and that severely traumatized your psyche…your inner being."

"Yeah, like I said stuck."

"No. Your spiritual pressure is…" He got up to pace, trying to think of the words. "You have always been like an open faucet of spiritual pressure…"

"Yeah, so…"

"So this drastic change has you in a constant state of flux. Yet somehow you're able to channel that energy inward nearly masking it completely, a feat that you had yet to master…"

"Wasn't that supposed to be a good thing?"

"Yes, it is a good thing, but with your reiatsu in a state of constant flux you can't change back to normal…" He explained patiently.

"It all comes back to if I can balance my Inner self again…" Ichigo muttered darkly.

"No. It all comes down to trusting those around you to solve the missing piece of the puzzle. We're infants compared to their knowledge and need to…"

"Yeah, alright. I get it. Trust my elders…So when do they all get…" Ichigo's eyes widened, as he felt his mother's presence nearby. "Mother…she's with them too…"

Uryū ran his hand over his face and up through his hair in an attempt to keep his aggravation in check. He hated it when Ichigo played dense or just refused to see things clearly. "Ichigo, things have changed here since we left. Well, actually since you were attacked. Aunt Masaki isn't in hiding anymore."

"Holly hell, this place must be in…"

"Zero Unit, that would be the Royal Guard, is keeping everyone at bay by surrounding this palatial estate. Renji is pulling his hair out focusing on presenting his report to your Grandfather. The Hell-butterfly informing us of the impending arrival of our family, various Captains and such sent him stalking off in a temper. Rukia singed off a great deal of his hair…"Uryū stared out the window looking out at the grounds.

"She didn't."

"She did." Uryū turned to look over at his highly amused face and couldn't help but smirk. "Five or so inches off, then again it could have been even more if he hadn't managed to counter her Kidō."

"Ah, Man, poor Renji. His hair is everything to him." Ichigo smothered his laughter.

"To Renji his hair represents status, sort of like a lion sees his mane or a tiger his stripes. Though, it could be a symbolic or tradition that neither you nor I are aware of…" Uryū surmised.

"How long was it anyway?"

"By estimate just past the middle of his back. In our world women and girls alike would kill to have his hair."

"A guy has that long of hair was just asking for a long overdue haircut, besides he knew Rukia was in a mood so he chose to face the risks." Ichigo once again settled back against the pillows. "Renji is just full of surprises." He wisely chose to change the subject in case Renji chose to walk in. "This place boggles the mind."

"Yes, there is more to him than meets the eye." Uryū agreed. "Then again he's had to learn to survive from an early age, so fending for himself is simply ingrained in him."

"Renji talks in his sleep. If you call nightmares sleeping. He and Rukia both had it rough as kids. The two of them were each others family until Kuchiki came into the picture while the two of them were training at the academy." Ichigo confided to Uryū what he knew.

"Renji lost big in his mind. Never really forgave Captain Asshole for taking her from him. It wasn't like Rukia had any choice being adopted and all that after all…her big brother did promise his late wife that he would find and then take in her little sister and it was all arranged in the blink of an eye." "

It's a kind of phobia of his that someone is gonna take her away now that he's got her back again…Then she goes and zero's me out and I go and wreck everything. So when I came into the picture it was hate at first sight, that's until I defeated his ass. That and the two of us are very much alike in some ways and so he chose friendship with me over rivalry. He's the closest thing that I've ever had as a big brother…I know that this whole situation with me and Rukia is hard on him, but…"

"Renji loves Rukia. Just like Inoue loves you. Both only wish happiness for the two of you…"

"Uryū, why is it that you can't tell her how you feel. Hell, I know it's the scariest thing in the universe, but…

He narrowed his frosty blue eyes at him. "You of all people think that you can provide personal advice?"

"Look, it is what it is. Crushed feelings aside, I can't change it nor do I wish to. I love Rukia. Rukia loves me." Ichigo met his glare with one of his own. "Orihime fell hard for me, but I don't have that connection. Yes, I love her but like a brother to a sister and I treasure our friendship."

"She's dealing with it, so is Renji. Now as for my feelings for Orihime…Yes, I care deeply for her, but she is still in mourning over you and can't see past that right now."

"Yeah, I know that I hurt her and even Renji. This whole situation is beyond complicated. The three of you are some of my closest friends…" Ichigo sighed heavily.

"No one is angry at either of you, Ichigo." He changed the subject to get his mind back on what was important that being changing back to normal. "You can't let any of this drama get to you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Believe me I get it." Ichigo rolled his eyes, praying that yet another you better focus sermon was not next.

"Good." Uryū paused focusing on a change in spiritual pressure around them. "They've arrived."

"Yeah, well, all of them are just gonna have to wait, cuz I'm not leaving Rukia."

"Did I say that you had to?" Uryū frowned. "I shall fill them all in for now, but you can't avoid them forever. All of them are concerned about you. None of them care about your current state of appearance. They all know that this is a part of who and what you are."

"I hate being out of control. Feeling helpless and in limbo. I can't shut that off. I couldn't take it if Yuzu or anyone got frightened by me. Orihime's looked at me like that…"

"You were completely out of control when that situation occurred and it has nothing to do with any of this. That was then and this is now. Focus on the now, not what was. The chaos inside you isn't raging."

"Great-Gramps and Hichigo get credit for most of that. It's a hell of a lot easier on my head now that we're not really at odds with each other all the time. I never thought of him as being anything other than a pain in my ass, but in reality he's been protecting me all this time."

"I see…" Uryū's eyes lit with interest as he assimilated all of what Ichigo was telling him. No it couldn't be that simple could it? Then again it did make complete sense and he was still unable to change back to normal. "Does Hichigo still feel that you are threatened?"

"I'm under the guard of Zero Unit nearly every Captain, my dad, Mom, you name it is here…" Ichigo frowned at Uryū not really following what he was getting at.

"All of whom are Shinigami…" He calmly picked up the tray, leaving the carafe beside the futon.

"Yeah, what about it…."

"Never mind…it's nothing. I'll go intercept the others." Uryū decided to let it drop for now and with those final few words left him to watch over Rukia.

"What the hell was that all about? I'm surrounded by friends and family members what do I have to be threatened by?" Ichigo grumbled.

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Renji stood in front of the corridor leading off to Ichigo and Rukia's corner of the estate. His goal was to keep everyone centered in the common area's Great Room at least for now. Though being glowered at by some of the most powerful beings in the known universe was he had to admit to himself beyond intimidating. Still it was his turn up at bat as it were and there was no telling what Rukia had done to Ishida…He'd yet to emerge from that corridor and that left him to go it alone. "So you see, uh, sir…Ichigo is currently trying to follow his Great- Grandfather's teachings by focusing on his inner peace or Zen..."

"Lt. Abarai, if my Grandson is sleeping then that is all that you had to tell us. We can all wait until he awakens. I assume that Lady Rukia is watching over him and that is the reason for your singed state of appearance. Your report was enlightening and will help immensely in devising a remedy for this ordeal that my Grandson is currently being inflicted by." Yamamoto arched a silver brow at him as he spoke.

"My kid could sleep through anything, so it shouldn't matter if we look in on him or not." Isshin waited for Renji to move, but he remained at his post. "Son, I'm tired. Don't make me have to move you. That would make me cranky and believe me you don't want this little clubhouse of yours to be yesterday's news." He kept his tone low, patient, yet deadly serious.

"It's not that I don't want you to look in on him…" Renji had to force himself to look him in the eyes and not break out in a cold sweat. He did it all the time around Byakuya. _*Yeah, but this was Ichigo's dad! He makes Byakuya look like a defanged dragon! Shit! Where the hell was Uryū?!*_

"Renji, what is going on with Ichigo and Rukia?" Urahara pinned him with a look.

"Renji? Is Rukia being overly protective of my son?" Masaki asked softly.

"Kid. You look like you've been the target of a Kidō master." Amagai smirked.

Renji gritted his teeth still saying nothing.

"Um, I'm sure that Chad and I can go check in on him. If that's okay with all of you, it's really no problem." Orihime chimed in at lightning speed.

"Uh, yeah, we'll go check on him." Chad nodded not really knowing what was up, but then again Uryū was no where to be found, so something was up.

"Let's just let these two go and look in on him at least for now." Jūshirō also sensed that Rukia was most likely in a temper and the smart move would be to wait.

"They're all one big unbeatable unit, so it does seem the best solution." Shunsui said contently laying on one of the many lounging areas in the Great Room, as usual his face was covered by his straw hat.

The other lounging areas were occupied by other sleeping members of their entourage. That being Yuzu, Karin, and yes even Hiyori were all content just to let everyone else handle things for a while.

Yuzu was using poor Kon for a pillow, but he was tolerating it.

Karin had fallen asleep against Tōshirō's shoulder and the young Captain was doing his best to focus on anything but the effect that she had on his ability to think clearly…well more like to think anything at all. It was most disturbing, most disturbing indeed.

"Having observed all of them in battle or in dicey situations I concur with what Inoue is suggesting." He said quietly. "Also, Ichigo values his ability to rein in his Inner Hollow and may not wish any of us, especially his family members to see him in this state of appearance."

"Oh, I agree completely on that one. Ichigo isn't gonna wanna be seen and it's clear that Rukia is in a mood by Renji's new hairdo." Shinji couldn't help but rib the kid about his hair.

"Bite me." Renji snarled darkly.

"Ya look like shit, it's just that simple." Kensei growled. "The kid is also sensitive when it comes to his looks, so yeah, he ain't gonna wanna be seen."

"It can't be as bad as that. Ichigo has complete control now." Rose frowned.

"Well, kid. You can at least give us a brief description of our baby brother of sorts." Love fixed his gaze on Renji, his eyes glowed meaning that he was expecting a straight answer.

"He's Ichigo only, uh, paler…" Was all that Renji was gonna say.

"No tail or lizard like qualities like you would see in a cheap Sci-Fi B movie?" Shinji narrowed glowing eyes at him.

"Or talons on his hands and feet…hair down past his ass…" Kensei scowled also with glowing eyes.

"Well, lieutenant, we're waiting." Love and Rose echoed.

"Kid, is he himself or Hichigo it's not a trick question. Answer yes or no." Isshin growled.

"Well, obviously if he's paler than usual that means that he's more Hichigo in appearance right now. Isn't that right, Renji?" Urahara asked.

"None of that matters." Ryūken finally spoke up, tiring of this verbal game of cat and mouse. "The only thing that matters is that Ichigo is able to sleep soundly despite his current condition. He's long passed the days when he needs someone to check in on him or turn on a night light. So we all should just leave him be. Isn't that right, Uryū?" He locked eyes with his son.

"Yes, all that you need to know is that Ichigo is focusing on becoming himself again." Uryū stood beside Renji.

"Who the hell worked you over, kid?" Kensei arched a silver brow at the young man who looked far less than his usual immaculate appearance.

"Ichigo isn't schooled in advanced Kidō techniques as of yet." Rose looked over at Isshin and Urahara. "Or has he?"

"No...But then this is Ichigo that we're talking about so anything is possible." Urahara shrugged.

"He can perform all the basic Kidō spells without saying the incantations aloud, so the other is just a matter of time." Isshin boasted proudly.

"Then the only other possible solution to either of their appearances has to be that the lovely Lady Rukia must have inflicted her wrath on the two of them." Love shook his head in disappointment. "Pathetic..."

"Now, Love, we mustn't be so hard on the two of them." Shinji shrugged. "She's only an unseated officer because her big brother set it up that way. That and she's also more like one of our clan than a Shinigami, seeing as she's faced with the help of our 'baby brother' her own 'Inner Hollow' within."

"True and because of that Rukia like Ichigo was forever changed. I would imagine that her temper when evoked would be something no one would wish to face." Rose mused thoughtfully as he chose a lounge to relax on. He took a pair of ear buds out of the pocket of his robes and settled back and listen to his music on his personal listening device.

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"Can we all just try and focus on my son right now. Kiri's Hell-butterfly to dad wasn't very promising. Soul Stealer Gems are seriously bad news. Tweaked out gems would be ten times worse than their usual effects!" Isshin prowled the Great Room like a caged lion.

"Quiet Eden or not! Gramps or not! Truce with Hichigo or not! Wanting to handle it himself is not going to happen! I'm his father and he is my child...!"

"Our child and yes, honey, they know..." Masaki said quietly her eyes lit up with simmering temper. "We're not going to let him face this alone, not like you have been allowing him to do for most of his teenage years. I'm here now and..."

Everyone in the room not sleeping or listening to music was focused on the two of them.

"Masaki! I did not ignore our son!" Isshin stalked over to glare down at her. "He's nothing like the quiet, sensitive, happy, little guy that you remember. He's a brooding, hot tempered teenager. Who is obviously beyond taking after my side of the family tree!"

He raked his fingers through his hair in an attempt to rein in his temper. It hurt that she felt this way about him that and she was right. "I know that I screwed up with him by choosing the 'big brother' method of parenting, rather than a traditional father son approach with him..."

"Isshin..."

"No! Let me finish before you go and rake me over hot coals again!" He snapped coolly at her, his own eyes firing with hurt and temper.

Masaki put her had on his arm, "I'm sorry..."

"You started it you are going to get what you asked for!" He snarled. "You weren't there. He closed himself off...I couldn't reach him, but I could reach our girls. They needed me, well, at least for a while anyway. It got to the point that the only way that I could reach him was by roughhousing with him...then Rukia was sent here by dad..."

"No. That is not entirely correct, Shin-ichi. It was Central 46..." Yama growled softly. "They decreed that she be sent to the world of the living..."

"Bullshit! By then Sōsuke had already taken that bunch of losers out, so it was him that put everything into motion! That bastard was spying on my kid...!"

"Ichigo came into his own... He found a place where he finally belonged. Finally, he was able to focus all of his pent up energy and anger on a single goal, instead of taking it out on every thug in Karakura Town. His since of honor to protect the innocent whether they be from the living or spiritual worlds needed to be focused before all of that untapped power turned in on himself." Uryū needed all of them to cool it before Ichigo came in there to roar at all of them for disturbing Rukia's sleep.

"I just feel that if Isshin had been truthful with him..." Masaki scowled.

"Um, Ichigo wasn't really all that pleased with his dad, so it probably would have really made things a whole lot worse." Orihime timidly tried to mediate between the two of them. "Isn't that right, Chad?"

Chad took a deep breath then sighed deeply resigned to his fate now that Inoue had gotten him involved. "Sorry, sir, but she's right. He did complain about you a lot..."

"Yeah, I know all about his feelings towards me. The fact remains that at the time he couldn't have handled the truth and as it is he, in a temper fit, tried to kill himself a month a go all because he overheard me talking to Dad and Koji." Isshin stalked off to glare out the windows overlooking the gardens.

"Yeah, I screwed up with him, but then I had to go it alone raising the three of them while dealing with the greatest defeat of my life. That being your murder, one very lost little boy who had been destroyed by it all, two terrified little girls, and through it all it was me who had to try and put the shattered pieces of our family back together again!"

"Oh, Isshin. None of it was ever your fault, as spiritual warriors it's a choice, a risk we take protecting those we hold dear, and the innocents around us." Masaki walked over and put her arms around him.

"Ichigo is a wonderful young man, our girls are growing up to be beautiful young ladies, and it's all because unique parenting or not, Isshin. You didn't push them away like Ryūken did with Uryū. You stuck it out and raised them and I love you more than ever because of that." She rubbed her cheek against his back.

"You watched over him, picked him up, mended his wounds, and then above all trusted him. That must have been so difficult for you, my Isshin."

"It was hell watching him endure all that, but I have never seen him so full of life, not since he was a little guy. The spark was back in him and for that I was eternally grateful." Isshin sighed heavily.

"Kisuke was right. Our boy was destined to follow his father's path..." Masaki was now cuddled in his arms.

"Yeah, and he's doing one hell of a job too with him achieving all that he has in just one year, not only in skill, strength, and whathaveyou, but in building friendships that will last a lifetime or more with a group of amazing young people." He looked over her head at Chad, Renji, Inoue, and Uryū. Then his gaze stopped at Shinji and the other Vizards and Ryūken.

"Our boy has mended so many rifts just by being himself, never shirking on what he believed was right. Yeah, our boy is something else alright. I just wish the fates would give him a breather for a while. He's more than earned it. They all have."

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:Yeah, well, all I want right now is for all of you to cool it before you wake Rukia up! She's been watching over me for hours and it's my turn to watch over her. I'm fine right now, so all of you just pick a Guest Room and crash for a while. Renji will show you where, seeing as this place is his project.: Ichigo's voice rang out loud and clear in all of there heads, well, minus the three sleeping girls.

His mental growl caused nearly everyone in the room minus a select few to jump.

"Well, that ones new." Isshin chuckled. "Looks like he's really trying his wings now."

"He gets that from both sides of the family tree." Masaki smiled as she focused on answering her son. :Then we will see you in the morning. We were all very worried about you, baby, and that tends to create tension in others.:

:Yes, son, and like it or not we are all going to set you right together.: Isshin added firmly.

:You can trust in all of your family, grandson.: Yama said softly.

:Nice one, kiddo. You've gone and floored nearly everyone here with that little growl of yours.: Amagai chuckled highly amused.

:Brilliant move, nephew.: Ryūken was pleased to see that he was finally starting to show his Quincy traits.

:We'll handle everything from here, Ichigo. You can go back to guarding over Rukia.: Uryū rolled his eyes heavenward. This was so not one of the skills that he wanted Ichigo to learn to master.

:Sorry about that, Mom. I'm just having a bad day or is it days now...I can never get the times between both worlds right...: Ichigo yawned tiredly. :Anyway, I just can't take all of you going off at each other because of me...Mentally I'm fine. It's just my outward appearance that needs work. Not that I'm knocking Hichigo's looks, cuz I'm not. I'd just like to be me again...by the looks of things I'm gonna need all the help I can get.: he paused for a second.

:Dad, Mom, you'd better go tuck Karin into bed. Tōshirō's shoulder is not her personal pillow. She's eleven and he's like fifty or something.: He growled. :Not that I don't trust him. I do, but she's my baby sister and no guy is worthy of her...:

:Mind your own business, big brother. I'm fine. He's my friend. We soul bonded. Get used to it. And try more like your age and nowhere near fifty. He's just like you, only way smarter like Uryū.: Karin growled sleepily. :You're one to talk. Rukia's way older than that ya know!:

:That's quite enough, Karin. Ichigo is just being a proper big brother.: Tōshirō's soft growl easily interrupted their sibling bickering. :She's perfectly fine, Ichigo. I suggest you focus on correcting your current state and less on the others around you.:

:My baby sis can run circles around you. So yeah, I guess I'm okay with it for now.: Ichigo allowed him that bout at least for now anyway. That finished he focused on Renji, Orihime, Uryū, and Chad.

:Inoue, Chad...Renji set this place up for us, so don't be surprised if each of you have your own private apartments or something, seeing as this place is beyond ginormous and all that. Night Mom, Dad, love you...Everyone else...I'll see you all in the morning.: Ichigo went back to sleep.

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:Goodnight, son. We love you too.: Masaki and Isshin said their good-nights and then turned their attention to Renji. "Well?"

Renji shook himself out of his mental daze. Telepathic communication wasn't rare, but it sure as hell wasn't common either. Ichigo's new skill was gonna take some getting used to. "Yeah, there's more than enough room for everyone. I'll show their majesties..."

"Family does not need to use such formalities, Renji. So fell free to call us by our names." Masaki smiled.

"Uh, sure..." Renji smiled back motioning everyone to follow him down the corridor that he'd been guarding. "I'll show you where you can get Karin and Yuzu tucked in and then give all of you a tour if you want."

"Is that where Ichigo and Rukia are resting?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah, those two are at the end of the hall. The three of you have places on either side that. Further up there are other Guest Rooms for anyone who needs a place to crash..."

"Oh, Renji, that's really wonderful of you to think of us too!" She beamed happily at him.

"Yeah, well, you guys are my family..." Renji flushed not really thinking it was a big deal and it beyond surprised him when she spontaneously raced over to hug him.

"You are so great! We're happy to be your family too, Renji. Right Chad, Uryū?" She turned to smile at the two boys.

They nodded in turn, earning each of them exuberant hugs from her.

"All of you are part of our family. Isn't that right, darling." Masaki was holding Yuzu in her arms and Isshin was going to collect Karin.

"Sure, the more the merrier..." His main focus was on Tōshirō, who to his displeasure was carrying his sleeping baby girl in his arms. "I'll take it from here, kid. I'm sure that you've yet to check in with your squad..."

"I'll see to Karin first then I will focus on the rest. Rangiku knows how to reach me if there is a need for it." Tōshirō frowned at Renji still standing in front of the corridor. "Karin needs a proper bed to sleep on, as does her sister and even Hiyori. It would also be wise for the rest of us to get some rest as well."

"Yes, that would be quiet satisfactory. Renji, if you would show us the way." Yama rose from his chair and that ended that for everyone.

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Next

Chapter 13

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©Cindra 2008-2009


	13. Chapter 13

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Thirteen

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

A/N: I use : : for silent communications between characters otherwise known as telepathy.

Or

I use * * to depict a characters private thoughts.

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Orihime sat up suddenly in bed, tears streaming down her cheeks, something was dreadfully wrong with Tatsuki.

"Tatsuki!!!!"

She threw back her covers and raced from her rooms.

Uryū's doors opened,followed by Ichigo's, and then Chad's.

"Did we miss someone?!" Ichigo locked eyes with his cousin.

No...that's not it, but it is definitely Tatsuki's spiritual signature that I'm sensing." Uryū gritted his teeth in frustration. _*What now?! Orihime can't take much more of this, but this is Tatsuki...she is here and that can only mean.*_

"She could have been in an accident." Chad raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, it was beyond cruel to have Tatsuki taken away from Orihime, but then life could be very cruel.

"What's going on? Why are all of you so upset?" Rukia put her hand on Ichigo's arm. "Did something happen to Orihime?"

"Chad, go find Renji. Uryū, go find Orihime. Rukia and I will find out what's happened to Tatsuki."

The two boys were already gone, leaving him and Rukia alone in the hallway.

Ichigo tried his damnedest to rein in his emotions, he knew that any emotional upheaval was the last thing that he needed right now, but this was Tatsuki that they were talking about.

"Tatsuki?" Rukia gasped, her eyes widening in alarm, knowing what a loss like this would do to her best friend and little sister of sorts. She forced that away for now and focused on Ichigo. He was Tatsuki's friend as well and had been since they were babies. She could feel his emotions as if they were her own and he was really taking the news badly.

"Ichigo, whatever happened was not anyone's fault...you see if it's your time then..."

"She's sixteen! She hasn't even begun to live yet! How the hell is it her time, Rukia!?" Tears burned in his blazing golden eyes. "It's just not fair and Orihime is gonna..."

"NO!!!!!!" Orihime's agonizing screamed echoed throughout the house.

He took off running down the hallway.

"NOT TATSUKI! PLEASE RANGIKU...IT CAN'T BE HER! IT'S NOT FAIR! SHE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN SICK AND NOT TOLD ME!" Her screams shocked him to the core.

"Tatsuki sick?!" Ichigo couldn't believe it. "No way...she's like the picture of health..."

"Ichigo, I know that it's hard to understand...." Rukia put her arms around him, they were in the 'Great Room' now and had stopped just shy of where Orihime was being consoled by Rangiku with Uryū standing just behind them.

"She had an Olympic gold medal in her future...her and Inoue are like sisters, the best of friends, practically inseparable..." Ichigo growled hoarsely, tears streamed down his cheeks. "All of that is gone now...her dreams...everything...gone..." He buried his face in her hair.

"No. Now she'll have new dreams and adventures here in the Soul Society. She'll be taken care of, never have to want for anything..." Rukia soothingly stroked his back trying her best to comfort him as she helplessly watched two of the people she loved most in this world have their worlds crumbled around them.

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"It was very sudden. There was no pain..." Rangiku said softly. "She saved a little boy from being run-over by an oncoming vehicle..."

"What...happens to her now? I don't...want...want...her to be alone..." Orihime sobbed against her shoulder.

"She won't be alone." Rangiku crooned softly. "She's in transition now. Kira and Momo just arrived with her. She gave the two of them quite a shock, seeing as she could clearly see them and the proceeded to demand that they take her to all of you. But before either of them could respond to her demand her attention was detoured towards the playground area where a little boy had chased after a ball that had rolled out onto the roadway...She managed to push the boy out of harms way and took the brunt of the impact...It happened so suddenly that all Momo could do was perform konsō and bring her here to the Soul Society. She has an amazing amount of spiritual pressure, her memories are all still very much intact, as is her determination to find all of you. I sent Renji to help Kira and Momo seeing as she knows him..."

"Where is she? Take me to her, please, Rangiku. She needs me. I can help her." Orihime whimpered, her eyes pleading for her to agree.

"Oh...sweetie. I wish I could, but without the Commander-General's permission that isn't possible." She gently brushed the tears from her eyes.

"Do it." Ichigo looked over at Rangiku his voice hoarse from tears. "I'll handle my gramps. Take her to Tatsuki, Rangiku, or trust me when I say that Tatsuki will fight her way to get to Orihime."

"All right, Ichigo. You are the crowned prince so your wishes should be obeyed. You need to calm yourself... this isn't good for..." She took in his glowing eyes and knew the signs that he was barely keeping his hollow-side in check.

"That doesn't matter, getting her to Tatsuki is priority." Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her. "I'd take her myself, but she's probably messed up enough right now as it is...seeing me like this would only make things worse." He glared down at his white as snow hands and arms. There was still no change. "Hell, I might be a permanent resident now too."

"Former Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is literally embedded in thousands of shards of gemstones, so his threat to you or the rest of the royal family has been ended. Nemu might try and piece him back together, but we've got his main pieces so nothing can come of that. Captain Kirio's Lt. Chibia knowing all too well that she would try and piece him back together was already one step ahead of Nemu. It helps that two of the lab techs are loyal to your grandfather too." Rangiku tried to give him a little bit of good news.

"Well, that's something at least, if his trap for me backfired on him then maybe being stuck this way isn't all for nothing." Ichigo walked over to Orihime and she threw herself into his arms.

"Easy, Orihime, it's gonna be alright. I promise. I'll talk to my gramps. My parents are the heads of the royal family, so they actually have to listen to me now. We'll work it out so that you'll be able to see her." He soothingly smoothed her hair as she sobbed her heart out on his shoulder.

"IT'S SO NOT FAIR! I'M REALLY ALONE NOW!!!"

"You'll never be alone. I won't let that happen." Uryū produced a handkerchief from his pocket. "We've got more than enough room for both you and even Chad at the penthouse. Dad's trying to make an effort, but it would be nice to have some company, as he spends the majority of the week at the hospital…Though I do get to see him on weekends.

She slowly pulled away from Ichigo, turning around to look up at him through lashes veiled with tears. "You would do that for me?" She sniffled.

Uryū handed her the fresh handkerchief, but dried her eyes with the pads of his thumbs. "I would give you the world if you asked me to. Take away your pain if I could. I will always be there for you. I know that your heart was broken that you love Ichigo…" He put his heart on the line revealing everything to her.

"Uryū…I thought…I mean…you love Rukia." Blinking up at him in confusion she clutched the hanky in her hand. "You made her that dress…"

"She's my friend and was in need of appropriate clothing to wear during her stays back home. Yes, I care about her, but nothing like how Ichigo feels towards her." He gently tilted her chin with his finger making sure that she was looking up into his eyes.

"Nothing like I feel about you, but I know that your heart is healing right now…so I am hoping that you could lean on me as a friend…then maybe someday you might…"

"Love you?" She managed a weak smile. "That's just the thing, Uryū. You've been so wonderful this whole time and it's just made me love you more than…" She reached up to place a trembling hand on his cheek. "Well, I've never felt this way not even for Ichigo. He was my first big crush, but you Uryū. You're my only love."

He turned his head to kiss her hand. "And mine as well, Orihime."

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Rangiku had burst into happy tears and Rukia was also bawling on Ichigo's shoulder.

Ichigo awkwardly put his arms around Rukia, baffled that she'd just burst into tears like that. "Rukia, what's the matter with you and Rangiku…?"

"Nothing we're just happy for the two of them that's all." Rukia sniffled.

"Oh, so it's a girl thing…got it." Ichigo sighed patiently he could feel that darker side of him just itching to make a snide comment, but managed to rein him in. Of all things Hichigo despised mush. "Uh, sorry to spoil the moment, but…"

"Let's go see to, Tatsuki. She needs you now. We've got forever." Uryū gently kissed her forehead.

"Transition is located in the 1st district of the Rukongai. Lady Yumiko helps ease the younger arrivals, particularly those with high levels of spiritual pressure, into life in the Soul Society. I see no reason why her own son would be denied seeing his own mother." Rangiku loudly blew her nose with a hanky, as she dreamed up the proper excuse to get the two of them to Tatsuki. It touched her deeply that her little swan had finally found her own prince. Not only that… but her little man had chosen himself a royal princess. Yes, life minus a tragedy or two was good.

"My mother?" Uryū kept his arms around Inoue, but turned to shoot Rangiku a look that demanded that she explain herself. "I was told that she was a healer…"

"She heals, as does your Grandfather, traumatized newcomers, and nurtures the young arrivals… Gives them a safe harbor to cling to when they are still reeling over their deaths."

"Tatsuki will need focus and that means attending the academy." Ichigo frowned.

"She'd easily excel at the academy and…" Uryū nodded.

"As a Shinigami would be given assignments on the living world…" Orihime's eyes lit up with hope.

"Look, I'm fairly positive that I'll be spending a lot of vacations and weekends here. Plus you were all basically adopted by mom…which means that we'll have our own private senkaimon to traverse by…" Ichigo paused that line of thinking the second that he felt his parents and gramps were near. "All of that doesn't matter Tatsuki does. So take the two of them too Tatsuki, Rangiku. I'll clear it with..."

His parents, grandfather, and Uncle all walked in through the front doors.

"Come here, angel." Masaki held open her arms to Orihime and the girl in question flew into them. "Yumiko will take good care of her, sweetheart. As will I. Tatsuki needs you to be strong for her…"

"I know…" She sobbed.

"She will be well cared for, my dear. You have my word on that." Yamamoto said softly.

Isshin and Amagai were keeping a close watch on Ichigo. The kid looked like hell, but he was holding it together.

"Tatsuki isn't handling the transition well. The Reishi here in the Soul Society has increased her spiritual pressure ten fold. Her powers lean toward strength and agility, so Renji and Kira have their hands full right now." Isshin couldn't help but smirk. "Chad can't even handle her mood right now. Lt. Momo has sent for reinforcements, which Renji vehemently resents her for doing."

"That girl has rage and an unending determination to find you, Orihime." Amagai said quietly.

"She's her protector, so that doesn't surprise me at all. She'll go up against anyone who she feels is a threat to Inoue's well being." Ichigo glowered at his father when he pulled a device out of his robe pocket and scanned him with it. "I can wait, Dad. Tatsuki is priority right now."

"No one is saying differently, son. This is just a tool to get a read on your spiritual pressure fluctuations. Kisuke, Ryūken, Ret, Kirio, and I all have a theory about why you haven't changed back and this is just the data that we need to prove it." Isshin pocketed the device.

"Yeah right, Dad. It's been over a week. I've been put through a battery of tests and all of you are still clueless about what's going wrong with me." Ichigo rolled his eyes at him. "Face it. I'm stuck like this for life because that bastard fucked me up for good…!"

"It takes time for a soul to heal. You need to be paitent, grandson."

"While I've been paitent, gramps..." Ichigo's voice grew hoarse. "One of my friends who I have known all of my life..." His voice cracked as tears spilled down his cheeks. "...the only one out of all of them who never gave up on me after mom was killed...died because of me!!" His eyes glowed with fury and the shadow of his mask was forming at the side of his face.

"She died saving her little brother's life. Kenshi was playing on the playground. She'd been watching him, when she spied the two Lieutenants investigating the area..."

"Kenshi can see spirits like Tatsuki...." Orihime whimpered.

"He was chasing after a ball, not paying attention to the student driver..."

"One of our classmates killed Tatsuki?" Uryū's eyes widened in horor.

"The ball rolled out in front of them, followed by the boy...then Tatsuki saved her brother by pushing him out of harms way..."

"Who was it, Dad?"

"That isn't important, Ichigo. Tatsuki suffered minor injuries save for a blow to her head. It was that blow to her head that killed her....she'd been living with a brain aneurysm ever since her accident last summer..." Isshin informed them in a solem tone.

"Aneurysm..." Uryū and Ichigo's eyes widened in alarm.

"Tatsuki was sick, but....but...why didn't she tell me?!" Orihime burst into tears.

"It wasn't severe enough at the time to warrant anything other than caution."

"No...Tatsuki wouldn't let something like potentionally bleeding to death stop her, she's way too stubborn for that. She also wouldn't have wanted any of us to worry, seeing as we were all facing serious problems of our own that mind you was often on a daily basis." Ichigo flung himself face down on one of the long couches. "Yep...just like I said...my fault...as usual...someone gets hurt because of me..." He grumbled darkly.

"I was so caught up with my own problems that I negelcted Tatsuki when she needed me most!" Orihime wailed miserbly against Masaki's shoulder.

"Shhh....there...there...that's not true." Masaki soothingly rubbed her back. "Tatsuki liked to protect not unlike my Ichigo. She thrived on being strong and would have detested being seeing as weak because of her unseen condition."

"I need to see her..."

"Yes, we know that, angel, and you will." Isshin couldn't help but notice how his nephew was watching Orihime and could only imagine what all of this was doing to him having to watch the girl that he loved go through such emotional hell. "Uryū, Rangiku, and Koji can take you to her, but first you need to get dressed for the day, as well as eat something. You need to be strong for Tatsuki and for that you need energy."

"I'm really not that hungry...."

"I know but you need to at least try and eat something." Masaki brushed away her tears. "I know that you have been through so much loss, but know this from this moment on you are not alone. All of us are your family."

"You don't know how much that means to me...I...I..."

"Yes...sweetie...just know that you are loved and will never be alone again..."

"Uryū, go take her back to her rooms. I'll go fix all of us some breakfast." Isshin brushed away a stray tear of his own the scene had been beyond touching.

"DAD!! We wish to live..." Ichigo rolled onto his back to glower up at his father.

"Hey! It was an accident that one time and you only suffered from a mild case of food poisoning!" Isshin glowered down at his son.

"Mild!? I was in the hospital for nearly a whole week! It's the reason why Yuzu and Karin refuse to let you anywhere near the kitchen! If anyone is gonna make breakfast then it'll be me." He vaulted to his feet and stalked in the direction of the kitchen area.

"Oh, like that's gonna work! You're not any better at it than I am!" Isshin stalked after him. "I don't call scorching everything cooking!!"

"Don't worry about those two..." Rukia gave her friend a big hug. "It just so happens that I actually know how to cook and am really good at it. So you two go get dressed while I help referee in there."

"Thanks Rukia..."

"Hey, I love you... little sister, so anything I can do to help just ask." Rukia ran off in the direction of the kitchens.

"Rukia, is so good for him isn't she..." Masaki sighed.

"Yeah, the two of them are perfect for each other..." Orihime smiled.

"It's never dull with those two around that's for sure..." Uryū took Orihime's hand in his own and led her out of the room.

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Next

Chapter 14

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©Cindra 2008-2009


	14. Chapter 14

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Fourteen

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

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"Why do I have to go to another boring tea ceremony anyway?" Karin whined, clearly not happy that she had to dress up to the nines again instead of going off exploring the Sereitei in her comfortable clothes.

Tōshirō patiently explained for the tenth time in ten minutes the reasons. "The Royal Family has been in seclusion for well over a century. Now that your parents have chosen to end that seclusion it is tradition for the other noble families to honor your family with ceremonial parties such as this one."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather be outside playing..."

"Soccer..." He kept a firm yet gentle hold on her arm. "Yes, I know."

"Hey! That royal pain my brother baby-sat challenged me to a match. All I've got are you, me, and Hiyori so far and she has a whole team!" Karin sulked.

"I never said yes..."

"Yeah, yeah, Mister Oh So Serious Captain Ice of Squad Ten. I forgot I have to be hurt for you to ..." Her head bent, down in misery and she waited a second or two before glancing up at him with miserable azure eyes.

"Okay!!" Tōshirō gritted his teeth.

Karin couldn't help hide her smirk, of triumph and he saw it.

"I'll play, but only if you behave properly when such events as this arise." He wasn't about to let her just think that she could wrap him around her little finger, even if it were true. She had to learn that she couldn't always have her way. He glowered down at her.

Her smirk turned into a pout and she sulked up at him, only to get lost in his all knowing all seeing fathomless aquamarine eyes. "But..."

It wasn't fair that he had finally had his long awaited growth spurt since they'd been there and was nearly as tall as her big brother. Gone was the grade school appearance, now he resembled his true age that of a young man in his late teens.

"Yes or no, Karin."

"Tōshirō..." She forced her eyes to pool with tears.

"Try that on someone who isn't your soul bond." He tweaked her nose. "It's either be nice or I will arrange it so you will be so busy training with me that soccer won't be in your future until your return to the living plane."

"You win..." She sighed heavily. "This round anyway..."

"Power is a responsibility. You will learn to master yours, sulking or not."

"I'm only eleven..."

"Age matters not when you're born into..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know...a family of Omni powerful people."

"Sword fighting is a skill that when mastered can be applied..."

"Okay, Tōshirō, no more...Lecture so not needed." She rolled her eyes at him.

"I speak from experience; unchecked power can cause serious harm to those you care about..." His mood once again all dark and broody he stared off at the palace ahead.

"You have to speak with her sometime ya know." Karin winced when he glowered down at her. "I know that you were talking about your Gran, but you have to talk to Rangiku...She's your mom."

"Not now, Karin."

"Then when?" She ignored his warning tone. "You can't keep using Momo as a go-between with her; after all she's your lieutenant."

"She lied to me!"

"Yeah, but it was for your own good! She was in no position to raise you and Gin was a threat so she had to keep you a secret. She made sure that you were well cared for..."

"Granny raised me..."

"True, but Rangiku kept the two of you provided for, made sure that you..."

"Yeah, out of guilt!" He snarled bitterly.

"No! Out of love, Tōshirō!" She stood up on her tiptoes and gave his shoulders a good shake. "She kept you safe!"

"Everything all right here, little sister?" Ichigo stepped out of the palace with Rukia at his side. His eyes narrowed at Tōshirō. Now that he was as tall as he was all bets were off.

"Ichigo, leave them be." Rukia sensing the change in him put a hand on his arm. Any power spike, temper fit, or emotional confrontation could cause him to relapse. As it was all his training with Hiyori and the others was merely giving him full control over all of his abilities. Ichigo and Hichigo were still merged with no sign of that changing any time soon. Half of him was normal in appearance and half was his Hollow counterpart. They had stabilized the power fluctuations, but were still working on setting him right.

Ryūken, Uryū, Orihime, and Chad had all returned to the world of the living. Uryū and the others to attend Tatsuki's funeral, as well as get Keigo and Mizurio up to speed about what was going on with Ichigo. Tessai had been ordered by Yamamoto to alter the memories of most of the citizens of Karakura town so no one would was any the wiser about the sudden disappearance of the Kurosaki family.

"We're fine, big brother. Go back inside. This is private." Karin glowered at her brother.

"This is over. Soul bond or not. My current estrangement with my..." Tōshirō couldn't say the word, it was not in him to refer to her as his mother so he chose the easy way around it. "Lt. Matsumoto is none of your concern." His tone was as cool as ice and the look in his ice aquamarine eyes dared her to defy him on this.

"It sure as hell does concern me when I get all the flack from it!" She was fuming mad at him, her cerulean blue aura shimmered around her with barely leashed power.

"Looks like Lurichiyo's palace is in for another overhaul. Captain Bonehead there just beyond put his foot up his ass with that one. Baby sis is gonna wipe the floor with his face." Ichigo grinned.

"Her spiritual pressure is spiking to dangerous levels. This is not good, Ichigo." Rukia started to leave the portico so she could mediate between the two of them.

Ichigo reached out to pull her firmly to his side. "Not a good idea. Besides he's been asking for it for days and now he's gonna get it."

"But your parents... Grandfather..." Rukia hissed at him in protest.

"They'll have a ringside seat with everyone else that was dragged here against their wills. And here I thought this was gonna be beyond boring." Ichigo was highly amused at the situation unfolding below them.

"She'll hurt him, Ichigo." Rukia winced when Karin sent Tōshirō flying with a mental blast.

"So."

"So! He's not used to confiding to anyone. The entire Sereitei is a buzz over the revelation about his true parentage and he's still adjusting to the soul bond with your sister." Rukia glowered up at him.

"Nah, he's just being a guy. We're all touchy when it comes to life altering deceptions and getting grilled about our feelings only makes it worse." Ichigo shrugged then shouted over at his sister. "Hurry up will ya! I've only got a few hours of freedom before I get dragged back to my torture therapy sessions with Hiyori and the gang!"

Karin shot a barrage of arrows at him which he easily dodged, but the portico wasn't so lucky. The front entrance gave way giving the two of them no choice but to flashstep to a safer viewing spot.

"Your lack of control is disappointing, Princess." Tōshirō vaulted back to his feet, his own spiritual pressure glowing around him. "Just because you weren't getting your way is no reason to resort to blatant abuse of your powers!"

"Arugh!!! You make me so furious sometimes!" She screamed at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're hurting over all of this and it hurts me too! It's not just you being affected by it all, Tōshirō!"

He took a closer step towards her, his aquamarine eyes wide realizing how much of a fool he had been. She'd been hurting too, feeling his emotional upheaval as if it were her own while he'd been too stubborn, too caught up in his own pain to think of anyone but himself. He'd focused on training her to use her newfound abilities and nothing else. Anything to keep his mind off Rangiku and Gin.

"Karin..." Seeing her in tears. The pain in her eyes was killing him inside.

The shocked look of recognition in his eyes angered her to no degree. "Why you selfish jerk!" She shot a round of arrows at his feet. "Don't you even try to get near me right now, Captain Clueless!"

Rukia, deciding that a protective barrier to prevent further damage to the grounds around the warring couple was in order and cast a barrier giving them privacy.

"Aw! Why'd ya have to go and do that, Pixie!" Hichigo sulked. "It was just getting good!"

Hachi cleared his throat to alert them of his arrival. "I will watch over the two young ones. The two of you are wanted inside." He sat down on the roof and got comfortable.

"But...!" Ichigo/Hichigo grumbled as she dragged him off back into the palace. "This sucks!"

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Rangiku paced in front of Gin. "This can't go on like this...He'll..."

Gin pulled her down onto his lap. "He's got every right to be furious and it's gonna take time to get past that."

He calmly stroked her hair. "Hell, I've damn near killed him half a dozen times or so myself. Never really knew why I couldn't follow through..."

"He was yours..." She sighed heavily. "You instinctively knew it."

"I shoulda known all along, since you were all protective and all that...not ta mention choosin him over us..." He set his chin on top of her head.

"You weren't you anymore and he was my own...I'd kept him hidden, safe from whatever dark forces had changed you. I chose Gran to raise him. She'd had practice with us and he..." She buried her face against his chest.

"Gran did wonders with him. She was the perfect choice. You didn't have a choice he was one of the rare ones, even at birth. Gran knew how to mask such vast spiritual pressure, so he would be safe." Gin soothingly rubbed her back.

"From dark forces that you instinctively felt were growing in the Sereitei. Aizen craved that kind of power. I was so far under the dark influence of his zanpakuto that I would have given him to him."

"No." She looked up into his eyes. "You still had good inside you even then."

"I loved you that never changed. You meant the universe to me. Yamamoto kept you hidden from me and to make certain that I wouldn't find you sent Aizen, Tosen, and My squads on deep recon in Hueco Mundo. Then had the Kido forces cast a memory alter spell over the entire Sereitei powerful enough to even affect Aizen." He looked down into her troubled eyes.

"Babe, what you aren't seeing is that even after all that you givin' him up and all that nothing could break the bond the two of you shared. You found each other like you both were meant to."

"Momo loves to talk about her 'Lil' Shiro' and how he was wasting his time being lazy and not putting his gifts to good use."

"So, that got ya curious did it?"

"Yamamoto sent me to watch him and it all came rushing back to me. This little pain in the ass was mine and there was no way that I was gonna lose him again." She opened her eyes, giving him an all knowing smile.

"All attitude and in complete denial about what was clawing to get free inside him. And oh so arrogant and not afraid of anything either."

"Sounds vaguely familiar." Gin chuckled.

"Your own cool as ice demeanor does remind me of someone." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm an enigma. No one ever reads my intentions."

"Ever? No one?" She arched a brow.

"Very well, then if not ever then only on rare occasions." He shrugged.

"Tōshirō never had any problem seeing through your poker face."

"My son is the exception to the rule, and you of course. My darker side was the premiere actor. Very few Shinigami possess such talent. Rukia being one, Tōshirō…"

He couldn't help but smirk as the next thought crossed his mind. "Mayuri was superb at it while he was still in one-piece. Alas, a head can snarl all that it wants but forever imprisoned will he be. That's unless Yamamoto deems a more permanent punishment. After all, young Ichigo has yet to fully recover."

"Ichigo's moral compass doesn't lean towards capital punishment."

"Ah, yes, Rangiku, but Hichigo has no real moral anything and would happily enjoy ending Mayuri personally." Gin countered. "Both sides of him are equal, therein lies any true solution to setting him right again."

"Equal?" Rangiku frowned. "So, if it's true and he has integrated then he's stuck as he is."

"Quite possibly yes, then again he's a paradox. Vizards can at best maintain their masks for the maximum of three minutes. Where as Ichigo can keep his indefinitely that's if he so chooses. He's also a quarter Quincy. Though that side of his lineage has barely shown through."

"Until just recently if you go by his new abilities then yes that's right."

"Hichigo is in every since of the word Ichigo's twin. It's very possible that he absorbed his twin during his time in his mother's womb. Kisuke reawakened that side of him."

"Hichigo seems much older to me, more like a fully grown man than a teenager."

"Yes, exactly. Therein the paradox lies. No matter how you spin it the kid is a classic dissociative personality case. Hichigo is his alter…"

"Alter?"

"Quite simply put. Hichigo came to be the second his mother was murdered in front of his eyes. Ichigo's soul was so traumatically scarred that all of that turmoil was focused inward, buried so far inside him until it got to the point where Ichigo couldn't handle it himself. Hichigo is in every since a fully trained Shinigami making him the sleeping soul reaper within. Rukia and his bond with her was also a factor in reawakening him as well. She was gonna be killed just like his mom. He needed an edge, even if it meant his life or his soul he was gonna save her."

"He needs a limiter, like we are given to rein in our power while in the living world." Rangiku got up to pour herself a drink.

"Brilliant! You're brilliant, Babe!" Gin's eyes lit up.

Cool blue eyes met aquamarine, "It's just common sense. I'm sure that they've already tried it anyway."

"Why would they? He's still very much part of the living world. Besides, they only issue those to seated officers and he's the Crowned Prince and that's levels above any of the Gotei 13, unless ya include the old man."

"He won't go for it. Ichigo is just as stubborn as Tōshirō." She saluted him with her shot glass.

"He won't have a choice if that's the key then they will use it to set him right again." Gin walked over and took away the bottle of sake and the glass.

"Hey!"

"Drinking solves nothing."

"Yeah, but it does dull the mind and that's what I want right now."

"It's gone on long enough." His mind was made up.

"What has?"

"We are gonna go talk with our son and then after that's taken care of I'll clue the others in on what they've been overlookin."

"Just send Kira a hell butterfly…" Rangiku sulked.

"No. I know exactly where he is and that is where we're goin." He took her by the elbow and led her out the door.

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Tōshirō tried to defuse the situation with Karin.

"Look, I didn't shut you out on purpose. I'm not any good at personal relationships…"

Karin folded her arms across her chest. "Go on…"

"It's true, even with Granny and Momo, I was always distant and they've known me all of my life. I felt abandoned enough already at not having parents like the other kids did." He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"I was a misfit and never fit in. My best friend was an imaginary ice dragon, even Momo found it odd, but then I could somehow cause things to instantly freeze whenever I got in a temper or experienced dreams in sleep, as well as awake. Granny nearly froze to death the night I first met Rangiku…."

"She was a stranger, yet you trusted her instinctively regardless of whether you realized it or not." Karin said softly.

"I'd nearly freeze-dried my Granny it's not like I had any choice." He shrugged.

"So after that you attended the academy and she went her separate way…"

"No, she took me under he wing. Never mind that I kept snarling at her, she just held on like a…" Tōshirō sat down on an ornate bench and buried his face in his hands.

"Just like a mother protecting her own and the whole time she wasn't allowed to confide to you that she was your mom. No surprise there you probably vented about never wanting anything to do with her ever. Am I right?" Karin wasn't about to let him sit there and shut her out again.

He only grumbled his answer.

"Add that you loathed your father on sight and it's one hell of a mess, which you are gonna have to face…"

She caught sight of Gin and Rangiku walking towards them. "Well, I guess now is as good a time as any."

His head whipped up locking eyes with her it nearly broke her heart to see the turmoil eating away inside him.

"What did you do!" He accused.

Hachi had allowed Gin and Rangiku access to his barrier.

Karin's eyes darkened to amethyst, fire lit her eyes, a clear sign that her temper was nearing the redline. She chanted a quincy Kidō in her mind and gave him an instant hotfoot.

When he grabbed at his foot in pain she took advantage of it by relinquishing him of his zanpakutō.

"Go to hell you, big scare baby! You don't deserve him!" She waved Hyōrinmaru in his stunned face.

"And you sure as hell don't deserve me!" She focused and his kimono and it caught fire.

"Or them or anyone!" She raced off into the palace in tears.

Tōshirō focused on a counter measure to her Kidō, but it had no effect. He had no choice but to shed his clothing until he was down to his underwear.

"Karin! Get back here we aren't finished!"

Hyōrinmaru stood on the steps leading into the palace. "Make peace with your parents first and then repair what you muddled up with Karin. She's right in one sense you don't deserve either of us and if you don't rectify the situation I won't be pleased and you don't wish that again now do you, whelp." He regally stalked up the steps and into the palace.

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"That's just perfect! He abandons me to take her side, even when she didn't wait for me to rein it all in enough to finish spilling my guts out to her!" Tōshirō was, raw, vulnerable inside, and he loathed that feeling more than anything in the universe.

"You did accuse her, so she wasn't entirely in the wrong." Gin arched a brow at him.

"We can wait! What you did was inexcusable!" Rangiku narrowed her eyes at him. It was unnerving that he was the one looking down at her now.

Tōshirō's eyes iced over at her tone. "Go to hell. This is no concern of…"

That did it and she lost her temper. "You are mine! I deserve the cold as ice attitude, maybe Gin and I both do!"

"But, Karin is innocent and doesn't deserve to be treated as if she doesn't get a say or matter to you!" Her eyes blazed with temper. "She matters!! So what if you're sulking over a decision that I made all those years ago! I had no choice! The pregnancy…brining you into the world damn near killed me! I was hiding on Earth…"

"Earth…" Tōshirō snarled bitterly. "Was the shame so great that you had to hide it?!"

Gin's eyes changed to from aquamarine to reddish in an instant. "You were a little beacon, even while she was carrying you! She hid because she loved you enough to keep your existence away from me! Power of that scale also attracts Hollows. Particularly, those of the most powerful kind. Which you very well know, now shut up and let her finish!"

"Fine! Finish!" Tōshirō glowered at the two of them, this information had him reeling. There was no way that he was like Ichigo it just wasn't possible. "It's not like I have a choice. Hachigen errected a barrier!"

"I fled the Soul Socitey because I wanted to raise you and Earth seemed like a good place to do that. I wanted you with every fiber of my being and was going to do everything in my power to keep you safe…" Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I would find a nice comfortable place, get settled, and then the attacks started. Just a few at first, nothing I couldn't handle or that would allert anyone to my location. Then as you grew inside me the attacks increased to Menos and sent a beacon to the Soul Society and we'd have to go. Gin's unit was assigned to investigate, no doubt by his master. Making it nearly impossible to keep hidden."

"Yamamoto told me that ya were off on some special assignment for an indefinent period of time. I didn't really buy that, seeing as during several missions on Earth I sensed that you were nearby. We'd had that falling out over something or other…You not trusting Aizen, me thinking you were out of your mind with your moods and all that." Gin shrugged. "I'd given you enough space, you'd sulked enough, it was time for you to come home."

"You knew about Aizen? What he was up to?" Tōshirō narrowed his eyes.

"I had bad vibes around him, most of the time he made me nauseous. I had no real problem with him until I was blessed with you." She smirked.

"I made you sick whenever you were around Aizen?"

"Aizen, Tōsen, me…you weren't one to tolerate bad guys. I made her moody most of the time, but it was the darker gents that triggered her nausea. She couldn't drink sake either." Gin couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of her grumbling about her sudden cravings and that she loathed tea.

"I hated tea."

"Well, I can't stand sake."

"You had me craving anything cold. Sushi was your prefered meal." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"She detested sushi more than tea that should have told me what was up with her, but then again deep down part of me knew something major was up. I just was too focused on what I wanted to give a damn."

"You weren't you anymore and for the first time I could sense it. There was such darkness luming over the Sereitie and I had to get away from it. I had more than just me to think about after Isane gave me the news. I swore her to secrecy, but she'd already told her Captain…."

"That explains why Isane was always taggin along with us on field assignments. She was protecting you."

"Isane stayed with me after the second menos attack nearly caused me to lose my baby…" Her voice broke with pain.

"I was bedridden and couldn't protect myself, but determined to keep you safe at all costs, even if it meant my own life… You were so much mine…I could feel you constantly moving and growing inside me. No one was going to take you from me."

"What changed?" Tōshirō's voice shook with emotion, tears pooled in his eyes. "If you wanted me so much then what changed?"

"After the second round of menos attacks Yamamoto sent me off on deep recon…the old man was in on it all along…" Gin muttered under his breath. "I'd demanded to know where Rangiku was and the next thing I know I'm on my way to Heuco Mundo with Aizen and Tōsen…"

"So it was Yamamoto that made you give me up?"

"No, he helped keep us safe. I didn't realize just how much he knew until Nanao was sent to assist Isane in protecting us. You see, we'd settled in Karakura Town…."

"Well, well, well, so the circle comes around yet again." Gin arched a brow in disbelief.

"Why Karakura Town?" Tōshirō asked.

"Urahara's shop had everything Isane needed for the birth and is off the grid of the Soul Society. Locically it's the prime location for any of our kind to hide…" Gin shrugged when she shot him a look.

"Sorry, darlin…" He held both of his hands up in surrender.

"Let me tell this please…"

"Quite as a mouse…I promise."

"It's all right. This must be just as enlightening for him as it is for me." Tōshirō sighed heavily. "I've been unfair closing you out…not wishing to listen to either of you…trust is big with me…Please continue…I wish to know everything…I only wish Karin…"

"Hey, Shirō! You're giving Karin a show! Rangiku needs to take a breather while you go and at least put on a robe!" Momo shouted down at him from her perch on the roof.

She, Hiyori, and Karin sat next to Hachi.

"Yeah, Brainy! You're breakin the dress code! If I have ta get all fancy then so do you!" Hiyori sneered.

"It's not that big of a deal." Karin rolled her eyes at the two girls.

"He needs to talk to his parents. Beside, I do have a big brother and a crazy dad, so him standing around in his drawers doesn't bug me at all." She shrugged. "It's my fault that his clothes got scorched, so really it's fine."

Tōshirō's face flushed crimson and he gritted his teeth in frustration. "If it bothers you so much, Momo, then go get me one! I'm busy!"

"Son, she's what eleven…twelve…she'll change her tune when she hits her teens." Gin reassured him.

"Yes, sweetie. She adores you to pieces, just not to where she sees you as anothing beyond her pal yet." Rangiku crooned, soothingly reaching to smooth his hair.

That very action caused him to finally lose it.

"I can't do this! Not with everyone gawking at me!" He chose retreat, only to be halted by the barrier.

Snarling under his breath he reached for his zanpakutō, but he wasn't there. No, he was most likely in the shadows enjoying the show.

"Open this barrier at once, Hachigen! I need space!" Energy arced off him in waves and the air dropped to freezing.

"Hachi, please let him out or else we'll be up to out eyeballs in snow." Karin shivered from the sudden cold.

"Very well, Princess." Hachi lowered the barrier.

"Hyōrinmaru, go he needs you right now."

Hyōrinmaru appeared behind her. "He needs you, princess. But it will be as you wish." That said he vanished, as did the zanpakutō in her hands, and returned to his rightful owner.

"He has to earn that right all over again! Trust is big with me to and he blew it big time!" Karin got up and stalked off the roof.

"Well, he's beyond messed that up and it hasn't been even a month yet." Momo sighed.

"What's new…He's a hot head." Hiyori got up to go after Karin. "Serves you right, Brainy! Karin needs someone who isn't such a scare baby about relationships!"

"I'm sorry, Toshirō. She's right, you are a scared little boy when anyone gets close to you! You really need to work on that!" Momo left the roof.

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR ANY OF THIS!" Tōshirō roared up at the sky. "THE HELL WITH IT! I WAS FINE WITHOUT HER! I'LL BE FINE AGAIN! I CAN'T DO THIS, WE'LL FINISH OUR TALK LATER, RIGHT NOW I NEED SPACE!" He vanished in front of their eyes.

"The kid can't catch a break can he." Gin sighed heavily.

"Not lately no." Ragiku felt for what he was going through, but he did deserve it.

"So where'd he go off to?"

"To Grans old place. It's his private haven when he needs to think. He was devestated when she died while we were off fighting Aizen, It's part of the reason why he's got so much anger towards you."

"One could say that raising our son was her last hurahh. She never got to see me free again…I'll always regert that." Gin gathered her in his arms.

"You go talk with the others about Ichigo. I'll go see to our son."

"My bets on Gran. She might not be with us in pyshical body, but nothing can keep her from looking over those she sees as her own. Tōshirō is her grandson and he's troubled beyond measure. If anyone can get him to see reason it's Gran." He smiled down into her eyes. "Just go see if you can smooth over the little princess's ruffled feathers, after all she's as hurt and frustrated as we are."

"I know! We'll go shopping!" Rangiku was all smiles.

"Uh…sweetie, I don't think…" Gin's brow furrowed.

"It's the perfect way to bond! I'll get Momo and some of the other girls and we'll all shop till we drop!"

"She's not really the shopping…"

"Nonsense all girls can't resist shopping and all those fabulous clothes and at eleven she'll be just getiing into makeup! It'll be so much fun!" Rangiku kissed him and then vanished from his arms.

"Somehow I don't really think that the little princess is gonna thank me for this, but it did make my babe smile again, so it can't be all that bad…" Gin shrugged.

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Tōshirō's Rukongai childhood home the watermelon patch.

"Well, are you going to lecture me too?" He grumbled at the ghostly image of his Gran.

"No, I'm just here if you need to talk." Azumi Ichimaru smiled serenely.

He set another melon into the basket at his side. "I'm a failure at relationships. I suck at it, so why even try."

"You dislike feeling vulnerable, it's your greatest vice. Opening yourself up to anyone will always be difficult for you." She remained ever so patient with him.

"I failed you, Gran…"

"No, we'll have none of that, Tōshirō. You were my greatest challenge and greatest joy. Graduating from the academy in a year and then becoming a Captain not even a month after graduation." Pride shone in her voice.

"I felt as if I belonged there. No one treated me like a freak. Power is respected rather than shunned or feared." He sat down in the shade with his bounty of fruit.

"It felt good to be listened to by my peers. What I said or thought actually mattered."

"I sent a message to Shigekuni after Momo failed to convince you to enter the academy." She said softly. "Time had caught up with me. The sands of my hourglass were dwindling away...My spiritual pressure was fading and I didn't want you to watch me wither away."

"I nearly froze you to death, Gran. My being here was hurting you, for that I am truly sorry." Closing his eyes he leaned his head back against the trunk of the tree.

"You were never at fault, Tōshirō. Destiny chose you. There was a great deal of heartache and sacrifice done on your behalf for your own wellbeing"

"My parents…"

"Gin was my grandson and Rangiku a little lost soul who needed love and guidance. Gin was easily influenced by Aizen and Rangiku was never really focused enough for his influence to have an effect on her. She liked to have fun. Gin was her opposite and match. His seriousness countered her playful side."

"More like deviousness…"

"Tōshirō, you need answers that is why you are here, now listen."

"Sorry, Granny."

"She never took anything seriously until she was blessed with you and then her focus was keeping you safe."

"It sure didn't last…." He muttered.

She ignored his grumbling.

"She really hadn't a clue that you were on the way, even her odd moods and bouts of sickness didn't really clue her in. Isane's diagnosis that she was nearly four months pregnant and lecture cleared that up for her and she came running to me for guidance."

"So was she hung-over during your heart-to-heart? I mean, that is her way of handling stress, well, that or shopping." He rolled his eyes, his voice oozing with sarcasm.

"You wouldn't allow her to drink anything except for tea, so no she was sober." She couldn't help but chuckle at how well her grandson knew his mother. It showed that deep down he truly loved her.

"The crap is vile and it muddles your brain." He shrugged.

"It also makes one forget or numbs physical and mental pain."

"Look. I've heard most of this from her already. She stopped at just before I was born…" He growled, his eyes narrowing.

"Momo butted in as usual and lectured me about my lack of clothing, which ticked me off because Sarugaki and Karin…" He violently sliced open a melon.

"She's being a child, no surprise there. She's not even a teenager yet and couldn't possibly, soul bond or not, understand relationships yet."

"So that's what has you in a dark broody temper. Someone dared challenge you to change your view. And if that's not something bad enough, it's your soul bond. You can't shut out or ignore her no matter if she's just a young girl or not."

"She's Karin Kurosaki."

"Yes, I know. She's a lovely young lady, headstrong as her father, yet as caring as her mother. You can't win you know."

"Win what?" He scowled at her.

"This battle of wills that you are instinctively waging against her. The soul bond won't permit it nor will the princess for that matter."

"Gran, I like order in my life…"

"Tōshirō, life without joy is tedious, dull, and boring."

"I don't know how to have fun." He shrugged. "Besides, I'm a Captain…"

"So are Jūshirō and Shunsui…"

"Shunsui is lazy as hell and Jūshirō is too complacent."

"They have earned the right to be so, young one. You are a mere grain of sand in age compared to them. Perhaps that is where your problem truly lies."

"Gran, I'm a teenage prodigy and even so have more than earned my rank as Captain." He bristled.

"You always were so defensive, even with ones who only wanted to help you." She sighed heavily.

"I felt like I was a burden to you! My whole like I've felt like an outcast! Abandoned by parents that didn't want me and forced me on a grandmother who…" He vaulted back to his feet to pace angrily in front of her.

"Loved you the second you were placed in my arms, by my daughter who only wanted what was best for you. I never once thought you a burden, a miraculous, wondrous, fascinating, puzzle so very much a blending of your parents. So gifted in power that even I could barely help keep it in check." Love for him was evident in her eyes.

"You?" He stopped pacing to stare wide eyed at her.

"Young one, I was once young and vibrant, full of power, energy." She chuckled at his stunned face. "Retsu Unohana was my student as was Tessai Tsukabishi."

"Were you a…"

"Shinigami? No, not in the sense that you are today. I was a teacher, guide, mentor to those who were willing to learn the ancient ways. Before the dark times came to pass and everything changed. Then I chose to take in and nurture those who needed me and had no one. I had my only remaining blood relation to raise, my grandson. Then my lost ones…Rangiku was one among many."

"All those boring lessons…"

"Were for your own good and yet you never really realized until you attended the academy."

"Got dragged off by the ear…"

"Tōshirō."

"Well, it felt like it at the time." He shrugged. "So Yamamoto was the one who sent my mother…"

"Yes and from that moment on the bond between the two of you was sealed."

"Yeah, I guess…"

She folded her arms across her chest and arched a brow at him.

"She knew who I was?"

"She knew you were hers, but not until after Aizen's death and with it his influence gone, did she know you were her son."

"A Kidō that powerful…"

"Yes, cast not long after you were born for your own protection.

"So unconsciously certain colleagues of mine took to me, accepted me, because…"

You were Rangiku's and therefore one of the family. Though, only a handful knew of your birth."

"Jūshirō, Shunsui, Isane, Retsu, Nanao, Yamamoto…"

"Gin was sent on deep reconnaissance along with Tōsen and Aizen, so he was never aware of your birth."

"That's not surprising, Aizen most likely used every opportunity to go over to Hueco Mundo."

"Gin is a good man, Tōshirō. Give him a chance."

"He came damn close to killing me…"

"Close should tell you something." She countered. "If Gin wished you dead, believe me you would have been. Something kept him from doing so."

"Rangiku."

"No, his tie with you."

"I'd rather not think about that."

"The war had ended, his mind has healed, and his soul as well. Must you condemn him for something that was not in his control?"

"That's the only side of him I know."

"You never see both sides, just your own. You took Rangiku away from him, his soul mate chose you over him. That alone caused tension between the two of you."

"I never stopped her from seeing him."

"No, but you disapproved of it and had no problem voicing how you felt."

"He tried to kill Momo and then stood by while Aizen ran her through. How can I just forget that, Grams? Hell, he was grinning when he tried to kill me!"

"He was not himself…."

"Yeah, so I've heard. Why didn't Aizen's hypnosis effect me like all the others? I wasn't nearly as effected as all of them."

"Your will is stronger than any of them with the exception of a select few."

"Ichigo…"

"His father has a will like no other, so it is only natural that his children would as well. All of the young prince's friends have strong resolve, so strong that not even Aizen could break it."

"Karin's been sheltered her entire life."

"Were you ever hungry?"

"No…"

"Ever slept on the streets without a roof over your head, not in a proper bed."

"No."

"Did I neglect…"

"Gran, it's not the same."

"She lost her mother tragically at a very young age. She had to grow up long before normal children her age did. Karin has known loss, Tōshirō, only she chose not to hide behind all of that emotional turmoil."

"She's worse than I am temper wise and twice as stubborn. She can't take no for an answer, but then she is loyal to the bone to anyone she deems friend or family. She's empathic and therefore sensitive to everything, though you wouldn't know it she's ever adapt at putting up a strong front, not to mention mental barriers to keep it all at bay." He settled back against the tree and dug into his treat.

"I can see how much trouble she is and how relieved you are that she's no longer an issue for you."

Fire lit up his aquamarine eyes. "She's a great girl, Grams."

"Yes, but look at how much trouble she is. She's only a child and you are a young adult…"

"Karin is the best thing that has ever happened to me." His appetite gone he sent his snack flying down at the quiet town below.

"Oh?"

"She challenges me. Won't let me lord over her. She's my equal or will be a few years from now after she's finished her training. My being Captain doesn't impress her in the least."

"And that makes you feel…"

"Frustrated that she doesn't listen even when I have her best interest in mind." He got up to pace again.

"Does she listen to you?"

"Yeah, she'll just sit and listen to me vent for hours over what's bothering me and that unnerves me to no end. Because she's able to get inside barriers that haven't been breached by anyone!" He raked his fingers through his hair.

"She makes you vulnerable and that terrifies you…"

"Unnerves me, Gran."

"Tōshirō, it's all right to need someone. They aren't going to abandon you if you let them in."

"Rangiku…"

"Married your father, but never left you. You pushed her away."

"I thought she'd lied to me. I was already reeling over my soul bond with Karin and then I got hit with even more mind shattering news. Gin was my father…"

"One of the most powerful, brilliant, students to ever graduate from the academy. He fell into the wrong crowd due to his friend's ability to manipulate anyone's minds. It was Gin that provided you with the skill, intelligence, power, stubborn streak, and quick temper that made you who you are today. Rangiku's drive and patience keeps you centered, but a great deal of you is all Gin."

"During the war…when she was badly injured he saved…my mother…chose her over Aizen."

"Yes, I know. You see, love can overcome even the most powerful of dark spells." She nodded.

"I couldn't help her…"

"You protected her that was more than enough."

"She protected me." Tōshirō sighed heavily. "She's always protecting me…"

"She loves you, of course she wants to protect you. You are hers, Kidō or not. The mother-son bond is a powerful force that nothing can ever truly break."

Tōshirō's eyes narrowed, as Karin's distress registered instantly in his mind. "Oh, no…she wouldn't…"

"What's wrong?"

"My mother and her shopping addiction that's what's wrong."

"So she decided to bond with Karin did she." Azumi smiled knowingly.

"Karin would rather play soccer than shop…Girly girl she most certainly is not." He sat down and buried his face in his hands.

"It seems to me that the little princess needs to broaden her horizons and a harmless shopping trip won't hurt her any."

"Harmless! Rangiku is a maniac when she shops!" Tōshirō explained in frustration. "Ah, hell, I just know that I'm gonna be target practice and it's not like I can fight back either…" He decided to drown his worries in the rest of his melons.

"Or she may just run to you for protection. Just think about what we talked about, Tōshirō and always know that I am here for you whenever you need me." She faded away.

"Yeah, right. Kick my ass is more like it."

"It seems like you need a distraction." Hyōrinmaru sat down beside him and picked up a slice of melon.

"You'd kick my ass, so no thanks." He muttered darkly.

"True, but then you, young master, still have much to learn." He countered.

"Yeah, I have trust issues…forgiveness issues…I'm a mess…I get it!" He angry spit out the seeds.

"You would be useless right now in any battle campaign. You need to rectify your inability to center your inner being, before you can once again wield me in battle. To do this you must make amends with your father, mother, and the little princess."

"I'm working on it."

"No, you are sulking like a little boy."

"Fine!" He glowered at his guardian spirit. "You win! Where the hell is Gin?"

"At the training grounds with the others conferring with them about a possible solution to rectify the prince's current condition." He calmly finished his snack.

"What's he come up with that the others haven't?"

"I believe it was your mother's idea, but it does involve something not unlike the limiters…"

"No way is it that simple…" Tōshirō muttered in disbelief.

"Quite often the solution to any problem is the simplest of answers."

"It's long overdue, seeing as he can pretty much defeat all of us without even breaking a sweat. The power limiter is just something that he'll have to get used to just like the rest of us." Tōshirō picked up his heavy basket of fruit. "The other Captains always give me treats might as well return the favor."

"That's very kind of you, young master."

"Yeah, well, I've been told that I need to work on that so might as well start now."

The two of them vanished.

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Next

Chapter Fifteen

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Cindra © 2008-2009


	15. Chapter 15

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Fifteen

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

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The Shinigami training grounds

"A power limiter?" Shinji and Kisuke frowned at Gin.

"His power is in flux, and the power dampeners that we use in the world of the living keep ours at a manageable level."

"It's worth a shot, we've tried everything else." Amagai shrugged.

"He's excelling in his vizard training because he trusts you now. Ya see, it's all about trust with my kid. That saying it will be his choice." Isshin growled his opinion on the matter.

"Question being what unit…He's far beyond Captain level power wise." Shunsui arched a brow.

"The royal symbol will suffice, after all he already carries it with him wherever he goes." Jūshirō suggested.

"The kids in his class already think he's a bad-ass, so a skull tattoo will just make it official." Isshin chuckled.

"It might center him, Isshin. Rein in that impulsive side." Kirio countered.

"My kid is the champion for the underdogs and that'll never change." He thoughtfully scratched his chin. "Although, being less rough on poor Keigo would be a turn for the better."

"Keigo is annoying and needy, but harmless." Shinji grinned. "Not unlike Hiyori, only she's far from harmless."

"Ichigo's focused now, so not even Hiyori, Lisa, and Mashiro are a warm up for him." Rose sighed.

"The kid's just toying with us now." Love smirked.

"He's graduated all right, but Hiyori doesn't like to lose, and he's just a kid." Kensei focused on Gin. "Ichimaru, your kid's all right. He's relationship retarded, but other than that he's not bad."

"My son was raised by Azumi Ichimaru, my grandmother."

That got their attention.

"She was an amazing woman, one of the last of the ancient ones. In fact, she was Retsu and Tessai's sensei. So no, he's not relationship retarded." Gin's quiet tone signaled that his temper was on the rise.

"He has trust issues, but with all that has happened that's understandable. He's a genius and has wielded more power during his, well, at sixteen he's still in the juvenile stage at least by our standards," He paused for a second scratching his head.

"Did you just say sixteen?" The ones not privileged with that bit of Intel frowned at Gin.

"That's right he's nearly seventeen and just like Ichigo one of the rare ones. He's wielded more power than many of us ever dream of and because of that he was shunned and feared by his peers and the villagers around him. Momo and Gran were his only close relation and then Momo left, leaving him just with his Gran. Top that off with his Gran becoming weaker and weaker because all of that legendary power just clawing to get free. All the while the kid doesn't have a clue not to mention any kind of control over his natural power."

"Wait a sec, the kid was born here wasn't he?" Isshin frowned.

"No, Tōshirō was born on Earth. In Karakura Town…"

"When?"

"That would be December 20th just before Christmas. During one of the nastiest blizzards in the town's history." Kisuke was the one who answered the question. "

"Masaki's emergency delivery was Tōshirō?" Isshin gaped at him in disbelief. "He was the cause of the sudden onslaught of Hollow and Shinigami activity?"

"Oh that and Ichigo was two months into creation, so between the two of them they did create quite a stir." Kisuke nodded.

"Well, well, that would cause a flair all right." Gin arched a brow at them. "Now where was I…Ah, yes, so my Babe enters the picture and all but drags him off to the academy. Sticks to him like a burr won't let him hide in his shell anymore. Becomes his confidant, sounding board, protector that was always on his side even more so than Momo. In every sense a mom, flaws in all, but they clicked."

"I bet that burned your ass, but good." Kensei smirked.

"I was an ass around him. Hell, the brat had taken my Babe away from me. Not just that but he was barely a teenager, that was irritating, as he'd made Captain at fourteen, not even a month out of the frickin academy too."

"You did try ta end him more than a few times." Shunsui lazily lounged across a rock.

"He was too smart for his own good. Sōsuke had been watching him since Momo kept yammering about how he was too lazy to not see anything and all that power of his going to waste." Gin shrugged.

"I watched him breeze through the academy as if it were nothing. His potential was limitless. Bankai at fourteen. The wielder of the legendary Hyōrinmaru. Loyal to a fault. Yeah, he had a temper, a stubborn streak that wouldn't quit, but he was a tried-and-true good guy. Never once leaning towards the darker side of power." He sighed dramatically. "It was rather annoying, really."

"Refreshing is more the term I would use, since the darkness was overshadowing the Sereitei." Jūshirō countered.

"I'll bet and then not even two years later my kid makes the scene out of nowhere blowing all of Aizen's plans to hell." Isshin grinned proudly.

"Hardly, he was the key all along. Sōsuke was quite frankly insane. His thirst for power blinded him, but his biggest flaw was not figuring out that your kid was one of the rarest of our kind, until it was really too late. He really blew everything when he kidnapped Inoue. That only fueled the fire. Ichigo's resolve could overcome anything he put his limitless mind to. He was a natural at anything Shinigami."

"Like father so like son." Kirio nodded.

"In less than a few weeks he had already defeated some very powerful beings, Grand Fisher, a Menos Grande, and all on what we believed to be borrowed power from Rukia. The thing was that he leaked spiritual energy like an open faucet and Rukia had never even to our knowledge come close to possessing such power. Then again the two were soul mates, so when you think of it Aizen should have really seen his demise coming and quit while he was ahead." Gin shrugged.

"Nah, Sōsuke, was basically insane so it would have happened anyway." Shunsui shrugged.

"He had to get Rukia back to the Soul Society that was where it all went to hell. Kuchiki and Abarai gave Urahara the prime opportunity to create an unstoppable force of good. He hadn't a clue that Kisuke had perfected the Hollowfication process and had used it on none other than the crowned prince himself. Now for Yamamoto, it was a beacon that Shin'ichi was ready to join in the again. Ichigo was proof of that, so of course our illustrious Commander-General took full advantage of it too. Banking on that like his father, Ichigo detested following anyone's rules. Telling him no only made the kid determined to defy the powers that be. Rules don't apply to Ichigo, he's the exact opposite of my son. In his first go at saving the Soul Society, well, in this case Rukia. He defeated Ikkaku, Renji, and Kenpachi. He even wanted to go toe-to-toe with Byakuya, all mind you before even achieving Bankai. To make matters even more dicey he had his own Army of spiritual warriors…"

"Yeah, my boy and his friends are one hell of a rescue/clean up crew. Got a problem with a past experiment then call my kid and his friends. Rouge Shinigami that's merged with his zanpakutō no problem my kid's your guy. Evil force threatening to take over the Soul Society or the world, same goes. It's a wonder that all of you even break a sweat." Isshin shot them knowing looks.

"Hey, we did all nearly buy it during the Arrancar War. Took a few hits with the Bount debacle, and didn't exactly sit on our hands during the other battles either." Shunsui growled.

"No, he's right. Ichigo and his friends have been our fortune more often than not." Jūshirō sighed.

"He brought my kid to his senses and for that I owe him." Gin was dead serious.

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"Hey, what's the big emergency with the girls?" Ichigo interrupted their meeting of the minds.

"Hiyori, Lisa, Mashiro, and Rukia…" He scrubbed at the back of his neck with his hand in frustration.

"Hell, even Rio took off after that Hell butterfly arrived a few seconds ago. So…what gives?" He scowled.

"Rangiku signaled for a girls day out. She wants to cheer up Karin." Gin shrugged as if it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Not good." Ichigo shot his dad a look. "Karin doesn't go for all of that, but Yuzu does. All it's gonna do is make her even more pissed off than she already is."

"My Yuzu is more the little princess than my Karin, so Rangiku's idea of bonding with Karin isn't gonna work." Isshin shook his head.

"No, she'll take it out on me." Tōshirō appeared soundlessly beside Ichigo with the basket of melons in his arms.

"He's bought snacks!" Shunsui dived at the burgeoning basket.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Tōshirō." Jūshirō smiled warmly.

"Does anyone feed you?" Isshin shook his head in disgust at Shunsui, for the Captain has wasted no time slicing into his first melon and then diving his face into it for a generous bite of the fruit.

"Nah, that one tends to live on sake." Amagai shrugged.

"Yeah, well, it seems to me the lot of you tend to live off that crap. It's nice to know that at least some of you prefer something actually good for you. Then again maybe you don't really have to worry about nutrition here in this world." Ichigo shrugged.

"No, we do. It's just that some of us tend to favor spirits rather than actual food." Jūshirō rolled his eyes at his best friend in disgust.

Since the others had already chosen a melon Tōshirō kicked the basket out of the reach of Shunsui.

"I wasn't finished!"

His focus now totally on Ichigo. Tōshirō broached the subject the others didn't have the guts to bring up. "So, have gotten the nerve to tell him yet?" He arched a silver brow at the others.

"Tell me what?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"You've graduated, kid." Kensei shrugged.

"We can teach you no more." Love drawled lazily.

"Even Hachi says your Kidō skills are excellent, well above even Captaincy level." Rose nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, you've earned your Shinigami badge. That little substitute one that you carry was only a…hmmm…what's the word…the humans call it training wheels…or a stepping-stone." Shinji put his hand on his shoulder.

"Huh, it's not that at all Jūshirō gave it to me…"

"Well, truth be told it was Masaki who wished for you to have it." Jūshirō smiled.

"Like the protection charm?"

"Yeah, Masaki's really good at creating one of a kind charms." Isshin nodded.

"All you're doing is confusing him, now out with it. What did Ichimaru come up with that you braincases didn't." Hichigo wasn't one for niceties or manners.

"A power limiter." Tōshirō answered softly. "We wear them when we become seated officers."

"No way in hell am I gonna get branded with one of those prissy limiter tattoos. Daffodils, camellias….sorry not gonna happen. I've got a rep to maintain and those don't fit it." Ichigo's golden eyes blazed and the mask was once again forming on his face.

"This isn't your decision it's Ichigo's and as he is the crowned prince the symbol would symbolize his rank." Tōshirō sneered back going toe-to-toe with him.

"Back off, Junior. I ain't in the mood." The mask was completely formed on his face energy radiated from him in waves.

"Yeah, well, I could care less if you're in a mood or not. It's Ichigo's body! It's high time that he got serious and kicked you back into submission again!" Tōshirō was just spoiling for a row and his energy aura showed it.

"Enough!!" Isshin got between the two of them. "I want my son back! You've had your turn now its back to your nap. If I have to wear one as bold as a bull's-eye on my back then you can endure it too! It centers your spiritual pressure in the world of the living so ya don't accidentally kill an innocent. I thank you for protecting Ichigo, but it's time to give him back the reins. If anything a skull tattoo will cement your bad-ass image or it could be a dragon, maybe a phoenix, it's up ta Dad since he's basically the head-cheese these days."

He locked eyes with his son. "Hell, even Renji has tats and he's not whining about it, so man up! It's either that or you take up residence here for good."

"Fine! All right already! Just make it bad-ass." Ichigo's grumbled in defeat and his mask faded away. "So what's yours?"

"A daffodil…" Tōshirō muttered softly. "My units symbol…"

"No flowers period or no deal." Ichigo folded his arms across his chest in defiance. "Seriously, a daffodil? What's Renji's an orchid?"

"Unit six's symbol is a Camilla…"

"Man you guys got seriously hosed on that one…" Ichigo could barely contain his laughter.

"The symbols have meaning and are invisible to the eye, unless activated in battle by the Unit twelve's Research and Development Institute…" Tōshirō snarled darkly.

"Ya need permission to release from the mad scientist squad. In that case no deal. Those eggheads are not gonna control my ability to fight in battle." Ichigo scowled.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"We're not even sure it's gonna work." Shinji shrugged.

"What's gonna work?" Renji asked curiously. "Why's Ichigo look ready to bolt?"

"What the hell happened to you and what's the other guy look like?" Ichigo saw Renji's battle worn appearance as a means of taking the focus off him.

"She can't be that much of a chore ta train." Kensei smirked.

"She's a hellcat is what she is." Renji grumbled, his face flushing scarlet.

"Tatsuki did that to you?!" Ichigo's eyes danced with laughter.

"She needed a challenge and none of the cadet's even rate sparing in her eyes. She takes to all her training like she was born to it. Her spiritual pressure level ranks her number one in her class. Hell, she's an expert at swordsmanship from her martial arts mastery one Earth." Renji shrugged, narrowing his eyes at Ichigo.

"She's got so much rage boiling inside her about not being able to watch over Orihime or her family anymore. Then there's you lying to her for years about everything, leaving her out of all the fun like she was a weak link or thereabouts. Add that you haven't even had the guts to see her since her arrival and she's one very lethal piece of female fury."

"I can't face her like this! She's freak out!" Ichigo bristled at the last zinger that Renji shot at him.

"She's seen you, Ichigo. Hell, she's seen all of us fight on Earth. You're way too protective of all of them. Kisuke and Uryū tripped them out too."

"What the hell did you do, Kisuke?"

"We needed recruits while you were away fighting in Hueco Mundo. Uryū cam up with the plan. I merely followed through with it. No one was in danger. They were all perfectly safe in their Karakura Raizer-Beast personae. We just played on each of their strengths." He eyeing him warily, he fanned his face with his ever present prop, his fan.

"After their little taste of battle all of Karakura Town was put into a deep sleep and the main battle began." Tōshirō growled softly.

"So Kon wasn't making it all up?"

"No. He and your friends played a key part in the war."

"By the end of that war I was mentally and physically exhausted to really care about what went down at home. Everyone was safe and that's all that mattered. I just needed some down time." Ichigo sighed heavily. "I guess I owe them some major quality time when I get back…"

"You, dumbass." Tatsuki's snarl echoed around the training grounds. "You selfish. ! You big egotistical, macho, jerk!"

"Your Gramps sprang her from the academy so the other cadets can all focus on licking their battle scars. That and she's more than earned the right to see you again." Renji was grinning at Ichigo's stunned look. "Her unique ability is invisibility, so odds are that she's gonna have a rare Zanpakuto."

"You try having the fate of two worlds on your shoulders and then only then will you even begin to fathom what it's like to be me!" Ichigo's walked over to where she was hiding, easily pulling out of the shadows.

"I could have helped you with all of that!" She glowered up at him.

"Uryū is a Quincy. Chad is a power unto himself. Orihime as well. I'm a vizard/Shinigami/Quincy. Tell me, Tatsuki. Back on Earth have you, until Uryū and Kisuke Urahara provided you with a gadget to hone your fledgling spiritual powers, ever faced a Hollow and came out the victor?" His eyes blazed with leashed temper, once again the mask formed on half of his face.

"No…but…"

"This is not a to me, Tatsuki. I do this." He pointed at his mask. "Endure this!"

It shattered revealing his two-faced appearance.

"So I can protect what I see as mine. My family, friends, classmates…Hell, the whole world, including this one at times…Safe!"

"Orihime…"

"Chose of her own free will, as did Chad and Uryū. We risk our lives, our very souls, to ensure that everyone else is safe!"

"You took her…"

"No. That's bullshit, Tatsuki! You focused on your stuff and chose to ignore what was happening around you! Did you ever have the guts to ask her what was up, if anything was wrong! No! You waited until it was too late, even though it was clear as day that she, and all of us, were into some really serious shit. Enough to be out of class for days, weeks, months at a time or more than likely show up wearing bandages! You bought all of our excuses! It wasn't until she was kidnapped by Ulquiorra that you confronted me and then I had other things to focus on than your whining about friendship, loyalty, and all of that , because your guilt was eating you up inside!"

"Keigo…"

"He knew a hell of a lot more than you did! Hell, he and his sister let two Shinigami live with them!"

She goggled at him in shock.

"Yeah, I'm not the only one keeping secrets. Then again he was terrified of Ikkaku, so he kept his moth shut." Ichigo smirked.

"Fascinating, she has such strong resolve that her memories have remained intact." Tōshirō arched an inquisitive brow at Kisuke.

"Nah, she's as stubborn as a mule." Ichigo grinned.

"You should know." Tatsuki sneered, shooting him a dark look.

"Look, if ya want me to say I'm sorry then fine. I'm sorry you got your feelings hurt, but not about anything else." He glowered down at her. Cuz, you lied to all of us about being okay, when all that time you were far from it!! Walking around…going about your daily grind with a ing ticking time bomb in your head!"

"I was fine." She grumbled.

"You ignored it…"

"I wasn't gonna live my life in a bubble and just forget about my dreams!"

"You can't ignore what's inside you. It doesn't work that way. Believe me I know." He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"It just festers inside until you lose control. At least it did with me, but I forced myself to face my dears and focused solely on mastering control."

"Ichigo, I can't even fathom the hell that you've had to endure this past year. Just studying about it all at the academy makes my head hurt and my heartache for you." Tatsuki's voice shook with emotion. "What all of you risked to protect everyone while we…"

"I didn't want any of you to know. Keigo was freaked out enough as it was and nearly died during the Bount disaster…"

"You gave him your energy to save him…" Kisuke reminded him. "Just like you give out spiritual pressure to provide the means for your friends to protect themselves. Chad, Orihime, Keigo, even you, Tatsuki, all have benefited from his eternal vow to protect his own."

"I leaked spiritual pressure like a sieve and if I did grant power or whatever it wasn't on my radar. Saving Rukia was." Ichigo shrugged.

"Mizuiro's never really been in the line of fire like the rest of us have, but then nothing ever fazes him." Tatsuki rolled her eyes.

"That's because there is far more to him than you know." Isshin growled softly.

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. "No way. I would have known…"

"He's not Gotei 13, but he is from a line of similar ancestry."

"Go on."

"We protect. Where as they keep the balance. They have a strict code of conduct, not unlike that of the Quincy. Their cardinal rule is never interfere."

"Mizuiro's, an ancient one too. That's why he goes for older women…He's like Tōshirō?"

"Hardly, he comes from a longline of Sentinels. Their kind take on different appearances as needed." Isshin corrected him. "Tōshirō is nearly sixteen…"

"No way!"

"Yep, he's six months older than you are." He nodded.

"But wasn't he born here in the Sereitei? Your time is different from Earth years and you guys barely even after a thousand years. So how can he be nearly seventeen?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Gods, you really are clueless aren't you? I mean, how is it possible that you can be brilliant one minute then a clueless dolt the next." Tōshirō shook his head in utter disgust.

"Rangiku hid herself down on Earth while she was carrying me. I was born in Karakura Town in December. In fact, your mother was the healer who tended to her. So yes, in Earth years I am going to be seventeen on my next birthday."

"Unreal. Talk about full circle and then there's you and Karin. Mom delivered you while she was carrying me." He was suffering from information overload, so much so his head felt like it was coming off, so he sat down on the ground and held his head.

"I just was told of it myself, not even an hour ago." Tōshirō sat down beside him, sliced open a melon, and offered him the other half. "My Granny counseled me so I could see things clearly again."

Ichigo looked around to find that only Tatsuki and Renji were still around and the two of them were both glaring at each other while feasting on the melon that he reluctantly had split with her.

"Gramps is always offering up sage advise, it's what a grandparent is good at…I guess." He said between bites. He was starving so he made short work of it.

"Yes, I suppose you're right, but it doesn't mean that you have to like it." Tōshirō shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess." Ichigo sighed. "So, this tattoo is sort of a right of passage with all you guys?" He figured if any of them were gonna talk straight to him it would be Tōshirō.

"I would compare it to earning a military rank in your world. It keeps one centered power wise, otherwise all of us would end up wiping out entire towns during altercations with Hollows on your planet." Tōshirō nodded.

"Oh yeah, and Unit Sci-freak records you guys at all times during a mission?"

"Our phones contain a tracking device and our vital signs, as you call them, are monitored by them...Yes…"

"Talking about 'big brother' watchin over your shoulder…"

"It's all based on a millenniums old system of checks and balances…"

"Not really, cuz now Gramps is Central 46, because Aizen murdered the entire council of morons right under your noses…"

"They were elders from long before the dark times and were set in their ways, but they didn't deserve their fate." He tossed another rind into the basket.

"Yeah they did," Ichigo waved the rind in his hand as if to prove his point. "They've been the root cause of every disaster that I've had to defuse. Hell, they made you choose between Hyōrinmaru and your best friend and look how that turned out."

"True, but then you came to be because your father was dead set against following their orders." He countered.

"Dad caught sight of mom as a teenager and was hooked for life. He just bided his time waiting for her to grow up…" Ichigo sat up, his eyes as big as saucers.

"You didn't honestly believe it was all coincidence did you." Tōshirō snorted in disbelief.

"I was a little kid…"

"So, now you're not. Age is irrelevant to a soul bond." He stated patiently. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I haven't got any visual aids for you to understand it. The fact is…" He ignored Ichigo's glare.

"Special circumstances can arise where a Soul Reaper is assigned to watch over someone in the 'World of the Living'. You, being a miniature spiritual time bomb, they sent down orders to Squad 13 and Ukitake sent Rukia…"

"I had Rio!"

"The Royal Guard only answers to the King or Queen…"

"Not even Gramps?"

"No. One has to be beyond Captaincy level to even try to apply for a position, it's why Captain-Commander barely had any control over his eldest son." Tōshirō explained.

"Dad's a wild one all right and as no one's ever seen a royal face until now, no one would even think that Gramps was breaking your laws by lording over all of you. Let alone that Dad was the heir…"

"Yamamoto is the last of the Elders."

"Dammit, Tōshirō! Why'd you have ta go and say that ta me!" He vaulted to his feet and began cursing under his breath.

"I merely told you the facts as they happen to be. Your Grandfather is the last of the Elders, it's not anything to start having a tantrum over." He eyed him coolly.

"Yes it is." Tatsuki's eyes danced with wicked amusement. "Now he has to go along with anything his grandfather decrees. It's the honor that's instilled inside him that forces him to do it."

"Yeah, he's all heart when it comes to doing the honorable thing." Renji grinned.

"God Dammit!" Ichigo grumbled darkly. "It had better be a skull or something badass…Leashed!! This beyond sucks!! Rukia's gonna laugh gleefully about it too!!"

"Centered," Tōshirō finished off his last melon. "The limiter will keep you in balance. I seriously doubt if anything could ever rein you in entirely. You are too much of an anomaly for that."

"Hey, Ichigo. It's better than spending all of your free time here attending the academy." Renji gave him that bit of insight to mull over.

"Yeah, anything's better than that." He simmered down.

"Now that we've got that settled, you can show me what Renji spent all of your bounty money on." She grinned.

"Yeah, sure. Why not. I'm starving and it's the last place Karin will look for him after she gets back from 'bonding' with all the girls."

"Karin went on a girls day out?" Tatsuki couldn't believe her ears. "She absolutely loathes to shop for anything not tomboy in nature. What'd they do drug her?"

"So that's where they all went." Renji frowned.

"Yeah, and Karin was already beyond pissed off at Captain Ice there already for being an ass and shutting her out and all that stuff…She hates being left out more than Tatsuki does."

"I'm new at it all right!"

"That's okay, we'll hide you until she cools down." Tatsuki winked at him. "To girls like Karin and me shopping trips are sheer torture and bore us too tears."

"I'm doomed." He groaned.

"Yuzu is with her so…Nah, you're right about that. You're toast."

"Shut up or I'll make sure that they put a limiter on you that's not even close to being 'badass' and is visible to everyone in the living world." Tōshirō narrowed his eyes at him.

"You wouldn't…"

"Try me."

"He doesn't bluff ever, Ichigo." Renji walked over and hissed that in his ear.

"Fine. I'll run interference for you with Karin. This time. Word of advice, Captain. She's gonna wipe the floor with you every time if you don't wise up and be straight with her. She never bluffs either and for the record. Neither do I." He flash stepped back to his sanctuary.

"I'd say that it's check between the two of you, wouldn't you, Captain." Renji arched a brow at him.

"No, Lieutenant, it's just the beginning of finding common ground between two adversaries that are now forced to act like family and be civil to each other." He vanished.

"Not fair!! I can't do that!!" She protested.

"Yeah, well, I can and I don't feel like walking either." He used the distraction of Tōshirō and Ichigo's departure to walk up behind her, cast a binding spell on her, so he could safely heft her up over his shoulder.

"Abarai! This isn't funny! Put me down!!"

"No. Now shut up and behave while I get the two of us back to my place." He kept a firm hold on her and then the two of them vanished.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Next

Chapter Sixteen

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cindra © 2008-2009


	16. Chapter 16

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Sixteen

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

* * *

Earth- Tokyo, Japan

"Here sweetie be a good girl and go try all of these fabulous outfits on." Rangiku herded Karin into a dressing room that she had filled with what seemed an entire tween fashion savvy wardrobe.

"But…I'm already set from the twelve other designer shops we've raided." She protested, but to no avail.

"One can never have too many clothes or accessories. You need to something for every occasion." She closed the curtain and happily sat down in one of the chairs to wait for her to come out.

"Rangiku, she's becoming a bit overwhelmed for her first experience at serious female bonding." Retsu said softly.

"I'd say she's showing astonishing restraint after enduring three hours of beautification rituals." Isane exhaustedly sprawled in one of the chairs.

"Shirō is never going to recognize her. The stylist transformed her into a young lady." Momo sighed rolling her eyes at Rangiku. Thinking of what his reaction was going to be and it wasn't remotely promising in the least. He was going to be a beast for weeks after this.

"She'd rather be in a sporting goods store. Karin is your classic tomboy persona." Kirio narrowed her eyes at the maddening blonde sitting across from her. "You are trying to force her into being someone she's not."

"No, I'm not Kirio!" Rangiku bristled. "I'm just introducing her to the wonderful world of shopping."

"She lives in shorts and t-shirts. Unless you count the one time during their yearly ritual of visiting their mothers grave." Rukia stepped out of a dressing room wearing a pretty sundress.

"Our school uniform was the only exception until today." Yuzu herself seemed beat.

"Rukia that looks fantastic on you and the sandals give you a little more height…" Rangiku was all smiles. "The fit makes your lack of bosom not even a factor anymore."

Rukia flushed a pretty shade of red and the others all groaned in unison. "Rangiku!!"

"What?" She frowned at the others. "It's true! Out of all of us both her and Momo were gypped!"

"We can wear practically anything, where as you're top half is so well-endowed that you're always a hairsbreadth from flashing everyone!" Momo narrowed her eyes to slits at her.

"You're just jealous!"

"Of what?!" Momo sneered. "Being so top heavy that running too fast might give me two black-eyes or having to freak out about accidentally falling asleep the wrong way and having them suffocate me!? No thank you! I am fine with who I am!" She folded her arms in front of her in disgust.

"It is a curse, but when you've been blessed with my measurements…"

"Yeah, thanks to Tōshirō." Isane smirked.

"Now Isane. Her figure was always voluptuous, but not nearly as much so as after having her son." Retsu smiled serenely.

"So what if you have bigger boobs!!" Karin stalked out of the dressing room in a temper and her comfy clothes. "Who cares who was blessed by the Boobie fairy!!

She was glowing with power. "I can't take this anymore!! I've been tortured enough for one day! I'm going across the street to the Sporting Goods store!"

Her azure eyes had darkened to violet and dared anyone to object.

"You're a princess and cannot leave unless in the presenceof a royal guard." Soifon blocked her path.

"I'm not gonna be shadowed around by anyone!" She fumed up at Soifon.

"Indulge us, Karin. This is Tokyo not Karakura Town and you are still very much a little a young girl of twelve, regardless of how you feel inside." Kirio got up to lecture her charge in a gentle tone.

"I have indulged all of you enough and I'm not a little kid!!" She snapped drawing in a sharp breath.

"I stopped being a kid when mom died and everything fell apart!" Her breath hitched tears glittered in her eyes.

"Now get the hell out of my way! I need space before all of this fluff suffocates me!!" She focused all of her energy into mentally pushing them out of her way, as well as pinning the others to their seats or even freezing them where they stood.

Everyone apart from Momo, Yuzu, and Rukia were unable to move.

(Karin! You'll send a flare to Mom, Dad, Gramps, and Big Brother!) Yuzu hissed.

(I don't care! This is your scene not mine! Hiyori snuck over there ages ago and I have soccer gear to buy for the match against Princess Brat and her team!) Karin hissed back.

"Come on, Karin. Let's go see if we can get you feeling happy again." Momo shook herself out of her stunned daze and raced over to drag her out of the exclusive high-end boutique.

"But what about them! We'll be in major trouble!" Yuzu chased after them.

"I warned you, but then you never listen." Rukia calmly left the women to figure out how to counter Karin's temper on their own.

* * *

"Mother, will you never learn." Tōshirō quietly stepped from the shadows.

"But…I was only trying to…" Rangiku sulked blinking him in surprise. "Mother? Did he call me…Mother…?" She whimpered shakily.

Tōshirō arched a brow at all of them. "Did Karin do this?"

"Yes, but can we get back to you calling mother…"

"That is who you are is it not." He growled down at her, scowling at the towers of parcels surrounding the women. Many of them earmarked for Karin.

"Serves you right for trying to change her into something she's not!" He was beyond displeased with her attempt at converting his princess.

"She was fine until a few minutes ago. Though it could be that we're on our fifth store and the three hours of female beauty rituals before that." Isane mused. "I was done after the second store…."

His eyes blazed with fury and his tone was cold as ice. "Three hours of what!?"

"Oh, you know pampering," Rangiku sighed happily oblivious to his mood. She was still basking in being called mother by her son. "Manicure, pedicure, hair…the works…"

"She's barely twelve!"

"So, it's never too early to start her training…" Rangiku shrugged.

All the others groaned rolling their eyes heavenward wishing that they could cover their ears because the roaring was surely about to begin.

Tōshirō was livid. "Training!!? She's perfectly fine the way she is!"

"She needed a little polish…"

"It's no wonder she froze all of you like this!"

"She has the patience pf a saint and the manners of a proper young lady. It was our discussion that set her off." Retsu said softly.

He turned his icy Mediterranean blue eyes on her. "Discussion on what?" He growled darkly. "As if I don't already know!"

"Karin was part of it then it centered around who had bigger breasts…" Rangiku sulked. It was clear that he wasn't going to call her mother until he calmed down.

"Get out of my sight, Mother! I will see to Karin myself! It's clear by the endless towers of parcels that you have more than fulfilled your quota for the next few months!" He didn't wait around to hear her whining and left to go soothe Karin's ruffled feathers.

"He said it again…" She whimpered shakily tears glistening in her eyes.

* * *

The Seiretei

"That's bad ass all right, but why do I need two of them?" Ichigo scowled at the two images set before him.

One mirrored his substitute badge and the other was a skull surrounded by flames not unlike the symbol on Rukia's glove.

"Because there are two of you." Amagai growled.

"Yeah, well, ya can't really limit Hichigo." Ichigo scowled, narrowing his eyes. "It would beyond pill him off."

"Or keep him in check." Isshin shrugged. "It's all a crapshoot really."

"You really are a complete mystery, so we can't be sure one limiter will have any effect." Kisuke eyed him thoughtfully.

"Then again it could bring out his Quincy abilities when he's in a gigai." Gin raised a brow.

"My question is how big should it be." Shunsui arched a brow.

"Quite so." Jūshirō agreed. "A smaller one just won't have any effect at all."

Tatsuki thought that Ichigo needed some back up and finally spoke up from where she was curled in the corner out-of-the-way. Watching Ichigo squirm over this latest solution was fascinating, but he was like family and Renji wasn't any help so she took a deep breath and broke into the conversation. Praying silently that she wouldn't get reamed for it.

"Um, it can't be really frighteningly huge or Keigo will most likely run screaming in terror. He's skittish enough knowing what he knows now if he sees Ichigo with two bad ass ginormous tattoos…"

"Tatsuki's got a point! Their freaked out enough as it is!" He jumped to his feet. "If its invisible to humans fine…otherwise you can all go screw yourselves and I'm gone!" Ichigo's golden eyes blazed with temper.

"Sit down." Yamamoto opened one eye to shoot him a searing look. "You will calm yourself at once." His command although quiet was laced with steel. "Tatsuki, I will take your incite into consideration. We do not wish to cause undo turmoil to the tellurians if we can help it and well do all we can to prevent that."

"Chad's got one on his arm and I'll bet he wasn't being a wuss when he got it done either." Renji sneered.

"Renji, that is enough!" Yamamoto ordered softly.

"Sorry, sir."

"Yes, Grandfather." Ichigo begrudgingly sat back down.

"That's better. Two limiters will be needed, as the Kidō will be preformed by Tessai and Hachigen. They will determine what needs to be done under Kisuke's recommendations. Now all of you are dismissed except for Isshin, Ichigo, Amagai, Kisuke, Jūshirō, and Shunsui." His was law Gin, Tatsuki, and Renji bowed and left his chambers.

* * *

He turned his focus on his brooding grandson. "Now then, Grandson. Speak your mind." He calmly sat back and steepled his fingers in front of him.

"How does this work? Do you use needles?"

"No, it's nothing like a Tellurian tattoo. The process is painless." Kisuke smirked.

"My kid hates needles." Isshin teased. "He's terrified of a hypodermic ." His eyes danced with humor.

"Shut up, Dad!"

"Like father like son. I'd say." Jūshirō and Shunsui grinned.

"Yeah, it's a wonder he ever became a healer. Turn the tables and he's just as phobic about needles as his kid." Amagai ignored his brother's dark look.

"Fearing something is completely natural, all of us have a fear of some kind." Yamamoto got to his feet and walked over to stand in front of his grandson.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm certain that you can also see what your friends fear as well." He placed a gnarled hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

Ichigo thought about that for a moment and then gave him his take on his grandfather's challenge. "Tatsuki and Renji are both afraid of losing their friends and who they sees as family. Come ta think of it…those two are quite the match…Rukia fears losing her surrogate brother's favor and me ending up dead. Shunsui fears rejection. Jūshirō used to fear his weakened state. Uncle Amagai's vice has always been not being accepted in his father's eyes…"

The men all seemed impressed by his observations.

"Kisuke fears…" Ichigo's brow furrowed as he pondered intently on that. I mean the guy was pretty much fearless at least from what he'd seen.

"Go on Ichigo this is fascinating because so far you've been amazingly accurate." Kisuke tipped his hat grinning at him.

"Nah, he's pretty much stumped. He's never seen you break into a panic. You, Tessai, and Yoruichi are always calm and in complete control around him and his warriors at arms." Isshin ignored his son's lethal glare.

"I fear myself. Isshin fears failing to protect his family or that all of our mistakes have nearly destroyed you time and time again." Kisuke said softy.

"Yeah, well, you're brilliant, Buddy and you care about how all of your inventions are used." Isshin shrugged. "So it's more like fearing the past repeats itself than fearing yourself, my friend."

"All of us trust you completely. Hell, you're the reason we're alive. It's not possible to oversee everyone who uses what you create. No one…at least no one that matters…blames you for any of it. That nutcase Mayuri tweaked them into his own creations, so we blame him." Ichigo was dead honest with him.

"That means a lot, Ichigo…and I am going to set right again I promise." He growled hoarsely.

"Yeah, I know you will." Ichigo changed the focus back on himself. "So what's your plan one on each arm?"

"Yes, that's the current plan." He nodded.

"Yeah, that way each of you has a Gentei-Reiin. It should bring the two of you back to normal levels again." Isshin explained.

"Or he might just be his own self…" Yamamoto frowned.

"Gramps, that's an insanely bad idea, unless extreme measures are needed like with Muramasa. He's only been himself when we're in my head…" Ichigo's eyes widened in alarm.

"Calm yourself." Yamamoto growled opening his golden eyes to pin him with a patient yet stern look. "What will be will be. There is not turning back only going forward. Now we have deliberated on this long enough it is time for action. Tessai and Hachigen are waiting and your condition calls for immediate action. The sooner we proceed with administering the Gentei-Reiin the better we will feel, as you will finally be set right again."

"Fine…" Ichigo grumbled under his breath shrugging his shoulders resigned to his fate. "Let's get it over with. It's not like I have any other choice and walking around looking like a freaking comic book character of sorts is starting to get on my nerves. I, uh, really do want Rukia there, so if possible can we wait until she and the others get back?" He asked hopefully.

The other men in the room shot him a doubtful nice try look.

"Very, well, your request seems reasonable we will defer until this evening." Yamamoto nodded in agreement and the other men couldn't help but stare at him in shock. He never deferred ever. The kid was softening him.

"Thanks, Gramps, it means a lot to me and I'd never hear the end of it if she missed something this major..." Ichigo grinned, impulsively giving him a gentle hug.

Isshin, Amagai, and Kisuke were at a loss for words. Ichigo actually hugged someone…

Shunsui and Jūshirō were both dumb-struck as well no one ever touched Yamamoto, but then again he was his only grandson so Ichigo had a right to do so. Not that the kid was the touchy feely kind of boy so this was just odd to see.

"You are welcome, Ichigo." Yamamoto cleared his throat as his emotions were hindering his ability to speak, but returned his hug in kind.

Ichigo was not one to show his emotions and hugging someone meant that he held them in high regard and this meant the world to him. The perhaps his grandson was on his way to forgiving him for all that had befallen him over the past year.

"Now, I suggest you return to your sanctuary and practice 'Quiet Eden' for the next few hours or so to prepare yourself for receiving the Gentei-Reiin." He suggested quietly.

"Yeah, I'll go meditate with Zangetsu in my Zen garden if anyone can help me get centered it's Great-Grandpa. I'll see you guys later at dinner." Ichigo wasn't paying the least bit attention to the stunned adults all gawking at him and flash stepped off his grandfathers balcony.

"Dad…" Isshin finally found his voice again. "That was big…He's forgiven you and he doesn't forgive easily."

"Yes, well, it's a start at least. Now we have much to do before this evening." Yamamoto went back to sit behind his desk and was once again his calm and composed self, at least in appearance.

"Yeah, Dad." Amagai knew the signs when he needed some space. "We'll make all the arrangements." He left.

"I will go confer with Tessai and Hachi." Kisuke said quietly and left.

"I have to tell Masaki what's up this evening." Isshin also left.

"Yama-gi, this is going to work." Shunsui managed his lop-sided optimistic grin.

"Yes, Shunsui is right and this way we can keep an eye on him when he's down on the world of the living. That in itself is going to make his leaving easier on Masaki and you as well." Jūshirō nodded his expression not troubled but hopeful.

"Boys, let us keep that between the three of us. Ichigo would not approve of being watched even if it is for his own good." Yama actually smirked.

"Well, we wanted a challenge and now that truth is out for all to see his rebellion not to mention that of his younger sister is going to keep us on our toes for, well…" Shunsui grinned scratching his chin. "Ever actually…which is fine by me."

Yama and Jūshirō shook their heads rolling their eyes. Just as a Hell Butterflies fluttered into the room from the open balcony.

"Let's go collect the women. Karin lost her temper with them over their female bonding rituals and it seems that none of them have managed to break whatever Quincy Kidō that she cast on them." Jūshirō sighed heavily.

"Tōshirō is too busy soothing Karin to even try to set them right, then again he could care less because Rangiku more than went overboard with her attempt at bonding with his princess. That and she started in on her favorite pastime that being teasing Momo and Rukia about their lack of, well…" Shunsui wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"Yes, Shunsui I am well aware of Lt. Matsumoto's obsession with her attributes." Yama sighed patiently. "Nevertheless, the tellurians will need their memories altered and the others need set right. See that they are and before it is time for the evening meal." He needed to see to the evenings Gentei-Reiin ceremony personally, so he gave them the look and the two men bowed and wisely left him be.

* * *

Next

Chapter Seventeen

* * *

Cindra © 2008-2010


	17. Chapter 17

Bleach Family Ties

Chapter Seventeen

Hell No!

By Cindra

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and this story is just for fun.

* * *

Karin's room – The family wing of Ichigo's retreat

"Twelve sporting goods establishments in three hours, on my dime. You not even having to lift so much as a finger to carry any of it at all, and still you aren't speaking to me." Tōshirō frowned down at the tower of sports equipment that they had piled in a corner of her room, then at the girl staring broodingly into her fully stocked closet. "I think you're fully equipped to challenge anyone in whatever sport you wish."

"What?" She turned to glare at him. "Do you think that you are the only one that gets to brood? That's not how it works, Captain Ice."

"I get that you are pissed at me for the torture that my mother inflicted upon you. I understand that you think that I've been acting like a selfish jerk for weeks now and that I've took it out on you." He took a deep calming breath. He hated her nickname for him.

"No, really ya think." She rolled her eyes, her stance still hostile and defensive. "I like who I am and sooo did not need a make over from hell."

"And you showed them how much you loathed it by creating quite the situation in that shop. Your grandfather had to send Captains Ukitake and Kyōraku to go set them right again. I believe that your Uncle, cousin, and Orihime were all also sent for to rectify the situation." Tōshirō nodded, his expression that of understanding.

"Well, no one was listening to me and I couldn't take it anymore! I mean, just because I'm a princess does not mean that I wanna change who I am! There is nothing wrong with how I dress or look! I'm sorry that she doesn't like me! That I'm not a girlie girl like Yuzu, but nothing even all of this is gonna change who I am!" She gave up being so strong in front of him, gave into the tears, and threw herself onto her futon.

Tōshirō felt like strangling his mother for making her so miserable. "No one wishes you to change who you are. I certainly don't." He walked over to sit down on the futon beside her, his hand tentatively reached out to softly smooth her hair.

"Then why did she think I needed all of that done to me…" She sobbed miserably into her pillow.

"It's how she bonds with someone that she loves. You were upset with me so she decided to cheer you up, by treating you to her favorite pastime. She loves to shop and thinks that it's the cure for anything that ails you." He said softly. "In her eyes, our soul bond makes you hers too…she means well for the most part."

"She likes me? All of that was because she wanted to bond…" Karin sat up, clutching her pillow to her chest. Eyes still pooled with tears.

"Likes you? She's been on your side ever since we first met." Tōshirō brushed the tears from her cheek with the pads of his thumbs. "She adores you, just like I do. I'm sorry for shutting you out. This is all new to me…I've never been any good at relationships…"

"Tōshirō, all I want is for you to talk to me when something is beyond bugging you. Just don't shut me out and focus on my training all the time." Karin had never seen him this emotionally vulnerable, laying it all on the line. Nor was she used to this tender side of his persona. "I need downtime and so do you. Soccer is fun and you are so lacking any fun in your life."

"All you think of is your duties as Captain and I understand that you have a lot on your shoulders, but you need to chill." She playfully bopped him in the head with her pillow.

He stared at her, puzzled by her actions. "I shall do my best to try and…"

She stood up on her bed and hit him again, only harder this time. "Loosen up, Tōshirō!"

"I was merely stating that…"

She hit him again, a wicked smile on her face.

"Karin …" He growled.

"Shiro." She mocked back at him, tossing him a pillow. "C'mon, play with me."

"What's the point of bashing each other with a pillow?" He dodged her next attack.

"There is no point. It's just fun to let it fly once in a while." She stuck her tongue at him.

"By hitting each other with pillows?" He arched a brow, still unconvinced but pillow at the ready.

"Yeah, it's one way." She circled around him. "There's also snowball fights, water fights…You know fun." She got him in the back.

"Human have the oddest of rituals." He reluctantly bopped her in the head.

"Shirō, I won't break." She got him good in the face.

He tossed the pillow down onto the futon, thinking of another way to play that wouldn't bruise her.

"I'm not about to take the chance..." He eyed her with wicked intent.

Karin had never seen that look in his eyes before and it had her wanting to regroup. She made a break for it.

But he was ready for that and caught her around the middle with one arm.

"Hey!" She squealed.

"You asked for it, Karin." He was just about to follow through with his plan of attack when a Hell butterfly flitted into the room.

Keeping an easy hold on her while the messenger landed on his free hand, he listened to the message. "That was a reminder about dinner and your brother's Gentei-Reiin ceremony tonight. I was so focused on soothing you that what had been decided slipped my mind."

"Gentei-Reiin ceremony?" Karin squeaked out, he was just too close for comfort, and it was making her nervous.

"It's a graduation of sorts, but also a means of reining in Hichigo. If all goes as foreseen, and the power limiters work as they should. Ichigo should be back to normal again minutes after the ceremony is complete." He nodded, all the while forming a snowball in his other hand that he then as fast as lightning, shoved down the back of her red soccer jersey.

"Tōshirō!" She squealed, as the slushy ice ran down her back.

He quickly let go of her, and flash stepped from her room before she could retaliate in kind her way, as in flaming his ass. :Hitting my soul mate is against my moral code, whether it be with a harmless pillow or not, and you did say snowballs were fair game. It's a formal ceremony. No jeans allowed. I shall see you at dinner.:

:You win that one, but just you wait, Tōshirō. I'm gonna get you good next!: She couldn't help but grin as she shook snow out of her shirt. That had not been what she'd been expecting and it had caught her completely off guard.

:And when you do I shall retaliate in kind, remember that.: He chuckled leaving her to her thoughts.

* * *

Ichigo was meditating outside in the fresh evening air, preparing his mind for the ceremony when he sensed Rukia standing nearby. He opened his eyes and was blown away. Never in his life had he seen her look so dolled up before. She was so beautiful that it stunned him speechless.

"It's too much isn't it?" Rukia fingered her Princess Consort ceremonial kimono, reaching up to pull the jeweled combs from her hair that had been styled in soft waves. "I'll go change…"

"Why…you look amazing." Ichigo said dazedly, eyes still drinking in the view.

Rukia blinked at him in surprise, he'd never said anything like that to her before or looked at her like that either. "Thank you…"

"I mean it, you look beautiful, Rukia. Not that you aren't beautiful, because you are…This just takes your beauty to a whole other level…"

"Three hours of beauty rituals at a spa where I wanted to Kidō the ones torturing me, but it's worth it to have you staring at me like your father gazes at your mother." She blushed under his adoring gaze, voice breathless.

"This…" She fingered her kimono again. "Was lying across my bed with a note for me to wear it for your Gentei-Reiin ceremony tonight. You're certainly dress for it in your own royal ceremonial robes…they look dashing on you."

"I have to respect Grandfather's wishes, so I'm all princed up for the ceremony tonight." He shrugged, rising to his feet, his face warming from her calling him dashing.

"So I see. Is Hichigo brooding?" Rukia tilted her head quizzically at him, even his eyes seemed normal.

"You seem centered. Your voice and eyes are your own." She reached up to touch his cheek. He was taking this turn of events a little too well.

"Well, I've been practicing Quiet Eden for hours with Great-grandfather, just to prepare myself for the ceremony. Hichigo was grumbling about it until he set him straight. He grumbled that it was fine as long as it was a badass tattoo. Either it works or it goes South…either way I'm ready to be me again." He covered her hand with his own.

"You are you. Hichigo is a part of who you are and that's alright with me. Though, it will be nice when he's able to sleep until you need him again. The power inhibitors should lull him back to sleep." She smiled up at him.

"You think it's really that easy?" He arched a brow.

"He's still out because he feels the need to protect you. Hichigo trusts no one, after what's happened to you. Aizen nearly killed you. Made you sleep for over a month just to get your power back. Then it was one thing after another. Now being attacked by a Captain, all because of his insane thirst for scientific knowledge, makes Shinigami untrustworthy, completely dishonorable in his eyes." She nodded.

"The maniac is being dealt with and all of you had nothing to do with it, but I see your point." He shrugged, taking her hand in his for a walk in the gardens.

"You are the body. His King. Keeping you alive is his priority. Whereas, keeping all of us safe is yours. They clash, but what you want is law, so he has to obey with your wishes while also protecting you." Rukia continued with her theory.

"He's always bitching in my head that I should go back to Shinji and complete my training. His hanging around could be a means of making me do that, which I did." He raked his fingers through his hair when the Hell butterfly fluttered over to Rukia. "Times up?"

Rukia nodded. "I'm curious. Why did you wait until tonight to have the ceremony?"

"Because I wanted you there…Look, don't tell anyone because I will deny it. I'm nervous as hell about going through with this and knowing that those egg head scientists in the Division 12 technological development department are gonna have some kind of leash over my power…" He was dead honest with her.

"No one is leashing you, Ichigo. Think of it as keeping your darker side in check. That and keeping the damage to a minimum when we are fighting on the mortal plane…" She started to go on when it hit her that he had said something important. "You wouldn't go through it without me there with you? Stood up to your Grandfather to get him to change his mind…when he hardly if ever changes his mind…"

Ichigo silenced her with a kiss. :Yeah, I wanted you there with me. I love you. We're a team. This is major for me and I needed you there and wasn't gonna go through with it without you with me. Gramps understood and moved it to after dinner. I'm getting two at least or that's their plan anyway:

Rukia wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, this was all Ichigo. She couldn't feel even a hint of Hichigo in the kiss. :I would have been hurt that I missed it, so thank you for getting him to wait. I love you too. Yes, we are a team and I agree with their plan as long as the tattoo is something that you will be fine with. I'm thinking like the symbol on my glove or perhaps your badge, as it is the symbol of the royal house, that way Hichigo will have no reason to fight the process and finally go back to sleep.:

:Yeah, the more badass the better, as long as it's not visible to humans. Keigo will freak if he sees me sporting two skull tats.: He pulled her flush against him, deepening the kiss.

* * *

Renji, on his way out the front doors, stopped dead in his tracks when he saw them kissing in the courtyard. Not just a peck on the lips, they were seriously gone. So he headed back inside.

Uryū, Orihime, Tatsuki, and Chad were walking towards them from the front entrance gates. The three were on there way to dress for this evening's events.

"Um, perhaps we should have told them that we were coming back…" Inoue tugged on Uryū's sleeve.

"It's fine, Inoue." Uryū, put his arm around her and led her inside. "They are after all a couple now and this is to be expected."

"Expected, yes. But neither of them are the PDA type…" Tatsuki couldn't believe her eyes and just stood there gaping at them.

"It is their private garden..." Chad shrugged, heading inside.

* * *

Next

Chapter 18

Gentei-Reiin

Cindra © 2008-2011


	18. Chapter 18

Bleach Family Ties

A/N: I know! It's been forever since I updated with a new chapter and I am soooo sorry for that, but with me being sick and all that it's been On And Off Hell. Part of my problem I can't stand the canon happening in the Bleach universe! I want it all to be some sort of comatose induced nightmare that Ichigo is trapped….I know that mine is AU and all that, but the Manga completely turned me off to the entire series…It's got me hopelessly blocked as to where to take this…I have an idea and have in no way abandoned this story in any way…I just have to work through the block in my head…I just loved the series so much and the way he took it turned me off from the characters… On the other hand, if you have any ideas as to how I should go about leashing Ichigo and Hichigo via the tattoos feel free to send them my way…

Real life is a factor too…Stress does not a proper writing environment make…being sick sucks…losing a twin is worse than hell to, but she died doing what she loved to do… loss has been big in my life and I crave serenity… Hope all of you who are scorching hot like me are staying cool and those of you where winter is just being winter are staying warm….until the next update which will be a chapter! I promise!

Blessed Be!

Cin


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